Tulipa kaufmanniana Fritz Kreisler

Tulipa kaufmanniana 'Fritz Kreisler' is undoubtedly the most beautiful among the Kaufmanniana group of hybrids derived from a resistant botanical species. This variety bears tender and refined colours. It is easy to cultivate, flowers early, and blooms in abundance. The narrow and elongated bud opens under the sun, revealing a corolla that resembles that of a water lily. This hardy bulbous plant easily naturalises in the garden and faithfully blooms year after year. Planted en masse, Kaufmann's tulips create charming and colourful carpets from the first days of spring. They thrive in well-drained soil that is moist in winter and spring. They like the sun until May-June, and then want dry soil in summer during the dormant period.

In the mountains of Central Asia, Kaufmann's tulips spread in large carpets on the dry and rocky meadows of their native Turkestan. This species is the origin of numerous hybrids and cultivars with bright colours, including the wonderful variety 'Fritz Kreisler', registered in 1942. The bulb is round, covered with a brown tunic, and measures about 3cm (1in) in diameter. In spring, the plant forms a small tuft composed of 2 to 5 lanceolate leaves. They are bluish-green, sometimes slightly marbled with brown-red, and measure 10 to 25cm (4 to 10in) long. In March, the floral stem, 15 to 20cm (6 to 8in) tall, bears a flower with 6 pointed petals, 5 to 8cm (2 to 3in) in diameter. It opens widely in the sun, and resembles a water lily rather than a tulip. The corolla closes when the sun disappears. 'Fritz Kreisler' displays bicoloured flowers on the outside. They are soft carmine pink bordered with ivory. The salmon-pink interior of the corolla exhibits a superb golden yellow throat surrounded by intense salmon pink-red. The foliage dries up some time after flowering, marking the bulb's entry into dormancy.

Kaufmann's tulips are very hardy and faithful plants. They prefer cold and humid winters and love dry summers. They are excellent tulips to naturalise in a lawn, as they bloom early and their foliage dries fairly quickly. After flowering, wait a little before you first mow the lawn and avoid watering it in summer. Muscari, Crocus chrysanthus, and violets can also enliven lawns from the end of winter. These tulips look wonderful in rockeries or at the base of deciduous trees and shrubs with late foliage. 'Fritz Kreisler', with its refined flowering, pairs very well with Anemone blanda and Ipheion, which bloom around the same time, in March, or even earlier depending on the regions. You can also place the tulips in pots on your patio or balcony.