Tulipa kaufmanniana Early Harvest

Tulipa kaufmanniana 'Early Harvest', also known as the Water Lily Tulip, is derived from an easy-to-grow, prolific and very early flowering botanical species. From the end of winter, it produces multicoloured flowers, with intense shades of red, orange and golden yellow. The narrow and elongated bud, with a very bright orange-red hue, opens up under the sun, revealing a flower that resembles a water lily. Its broad foliage is marbled with purple magenta. This hardy bulbous plant naturalises easily in the garden, and faithfully re-blooms year after year. It thrives in well-drained soil, in full sun until May-June, and rests during summer in dry soil. 

Originating from the mountains of Central Asia, the Tulipa kaufmanniana or Kaufmann's Tulip spreads in large carpets on the dry and rocky meadows of its native Turkestan. This species is the origin of many cultivars and hybrids with vibrant colours, including 'Early Harvest'. Its round bulb is covered with a brown layer, and measures about 3 cm (1in) in diameter. In spring, the plant forms a small clump of 2 to 5 lanceolate, wide leaves, 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10in) long. The floral stem is 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8in) tall and sometimes bears a flamboyant bud as early as the end of January, which will release a flower with 6 petals with rounded edges, 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3in) in diameter. It fully opens almost flat under the sun, when it looks more like a water lily than a tulip, then closes when the sun disappears. 'Early Harvest' has bright orange petals with accents of blood red, bordered by golden yellow.

Kaufmann's tulips are very hardy plants, which naturalise easily in the garden under the right conditions. They prefer cold and humid winters and dry summers. They are used in sunny rockeries or at the base of deciduous trees and bushes with late foliage, like deciduous euonymus or bushes with light foliage like Caragana, Sambucus nigra or Kolvitzia amabilis. 'Early Harvest', with its brilliant flowers, pairs well with early crocuses and narcissi, which also like soils dry in summer and flower at roughly the same time, in March-April.  You can also plant it in pots on your terrace or balcony.