Tulipa Estella Rijnveld

Tulipa 'Estella Rijnveld' is a spectacular bicolour tulip with an extravagant display of vibrant colours. Its heavily fringed cherry-red and snow-white petals are entwined in a wild dance, adorned with flames that give this flower a unique movement. It is a good-sized variety that doesn't go unnoticed in flower beds. It blooms in May, at the end of the tulip season. It is also an excellent cut flower, to be included in a sparkling or baroque-inspired bouquet.

Parrot tulips are hybrids derived from Triumph tulips, possessing all their qualities. They are excellent cut flowers. The unique cut of their petals resembles the ruffled and colourful plumage of tropical birds.

Tulipa 'Estella Rijnveld' belongs to the Liliaceae family. It is a horticultural creation, dating back to 1954. It is a sport of the historic 'Red Champion' variety, which is now hard to find. 'Estella Rijnveld', just like its parent, belongs to the Parrot Group tulips, whose main characteristic is the presence of huge flowers with twisted, puffy, ruffled, and irregularly fringed petals. This variety is obtained through mutation (the sudden appearance of new characteristics that persist in subsequent generations). It has a beautiful stature (50cm (20in)), and its flower is large, easily measuring 10cm (4in) in diameter. Its colour is a variegation of white, ivory, and fiery red, with the outer part of the corolla sometimes showing small green flames. Each flower has its own personality and evolves differently over time. The unique shape of the parrot tulip adds extra charm, making this tulip truly impressive, even when its buds slowly but fully open in a vase, revealing black stamens. Flowering takes place in May, at the end of the tulip season.

Parrot tulips are wonderful in flower beds, mixed with other tulips to stagger the blooming season, or as small accents among perennials whose flowers are still awaited at this time. They are slightly too tall for flower pots, so choose a wide pot if you want to bring them close to your house. In the 18th century, they were considered monstrous. This group developed a lot in the 1930s, when it was discovered that irradiating bulbs with X-rays caused this mutation. They are already among the most planted varieties. Tulipa 'Estella Rijnveld' looks wonderful in a centrepiece display. It will bring a touch of whimsy to a basket of foliage and gypsophila, or a baroque bouquet, with mauve and white flowers, such as roses, peonies, and garden irises.