Tulip 'Rasta Parrot'

One glance, and you can see why Tulip 'Rasta Parrot' is a favorite of floral designers and winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Each fringed petal is a mystical mélange of reddish pink, orange, gold, purple, and green, and the coloring of each is unique. The petals twist and turn in a manner that suggests perpetual motion. Enjoy this artful beauty in the spring garden and vases. Late.

Tulipa is an enormous genus consisting of approximately 75 species, all of which are, in their original forms, true perennials. In their native habitats (ranging from Central Asia to the Mediterranean basin) Tulips are subject to both long, cold winters and hot, bone-dry summers; they adapted to survive these conditions by returning to dormancy after a spring season of active growth and flower. The cultivation of Tulips goes back over 1,000 years and the 14th century Ottomans are generally credited with the development of Tulipa as a garden plant.

The conditions in most North American gardens don't much resemble the climates in which Tulips evolved, and most modern cultivars are best grown as annuals - planted in the fall, enjoyed the following spring and then replaced. There are several groups, however, that do offer strong multi-year performance. Selections from the Kaufmanniana, Fosteriana, Greigii, and Darwin Hybrid groups are generally considered the most perennial and our Tulip growing guide includes information on the growing practices that are most conducive to repeat performance. In addition to these groups of garden varieties, there are less-hybridized varieties referred to as Species Tulips or Botanical Tulips. Species Tulips are the closest contemporary analogs to the original, "wild" tulip and are the most perennial of all commercially available varieties. They are generally smaller and more demure than the more highly-bred forms; some Tulip connoisseurs consider them the most attractive and garden-worthy of all.

We offer, in most years, more than 100 Tulip varieties, each chosen on the basis of its garden merits. Our descriptions indicate, whenever possible, the group to which the variety belongs and whether the variety is considered an Early, Midseason, or Late Bloomer. These designations are relative - Early, here in Connecticut, means April, Late means May, and Midseason means somewhere in between. Employing varieties from across this spectrum will yield the longest possible season of bloom and the longer one has Tulips in flower, we think you'll agree, the better.

With flamboyant, feathery petals and twisted forms, Parrot Tulips make bold statements in late spring. Their large flowers come in dramatic color blends, and while not perennial, their theatrical presence in beds or vases is unmatched. Best for gardeners seeking impact and individuality in cut flower arrangements.

For information on Tulip care, click Growing Guide.