Tulipa fosteriana Purissima

Tulip fosteriana 'Purissima' is an old variety. It is a classic with evanescent flowers, which are pearly cream-white, crossed by a streak of light at the heart. Very resistant, robust, and undemanding, it will faithfully return for many years without degenerating. It is also one of the first to bloom. It is wonderful in flower beds, borders, and bouquets.

Tulipa fosteriana is a very hardy botanical species originating from Turkestan. Tulips derived from T. fosteriana belong to division 13 and are reliable performers: they are among the first tulips to flower, sometimes as early as March 15th, and they naturalise easily, so there is no need to replace them regularly. 'Purissima', also known as T. 'White Emperor', produces strong but flexible stems 35 to 40cm (14 to 16in) tall when in bloom. They bear a pale-yellow bud at their tip, opening into a large, elongated cup-shaped pearly-white flower, which opens and spreads in the sun to reveal a small golden heart. The flower fades beautifully, opening very widely, then gracefully retreating by shedding its petals one by one in the wind. The foliage is light green and vibrant. It is deciduous in summer.

Tulips from the Fosteriana Group work well in flower beds and borders. The taller varieties are ideal for bouquets. Their sparkling yet elegant colours pair well with blue hyacinths, grape hyacinths, forget-me-nots, and with other tulips. When designing your flower beds, you must consider the height and flowering period of the tulips, as these parameters can vary significantly from one cultivar to another. It is wise to plant extra bulbs for bouquets, as they make gorgeous cut flowers that last a long time in a vase. 

About botanical species

Tulip species are found throughout most of the Old World, from Western Europe to China and Japan, including Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Central Asia. Their distribution range also includes North Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The centre of diversity for the genus is in the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains and the steppes of Kazakhstan.

There are various wild species, many of which are endangered. These include large adventive tulips from cultivated fields, the most well-known being the Agen tulip (Tulipa agenensis), as well as small tulips found in wooded areas or among rocks in the mountains. In cultivation, they are called "botanical tulips", and one of the most common is the wild tulip (T. sylvestris), which used to often grow sheltered by vines and whose subspecies, australis, is known as the southern tulip.