Tulipa gesneriana
| Tulipa gesneriana | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Tulipa gesneriana (common name: tulip)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a shady part of the cold frame as soon as it is ripe in early summer[1], or in the early autumn[2]. A spring sowing of stored seed in the greenhouse also succeeds[K]. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be grown on without disturbance for their first growing season - apply liquid feeds to the pot if necessary. Divide the bulbs once the plants have become dormant, putting 3 - 4 bulbs in each pot. Grow the on in the greenhouse for at least the next year, planting them out when dormant.
Division of offsets in July. Larger bulbs can be planted out straight into their permanent positions, or can be stored in a cool place and then be planted out in late autumn. It is best to pot up smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer to the middle of autumn.
Cultivation: Easily grown in a sunny position in a well-drained sandy soil with added leafmould[1].
The bulbs are very hardy, surviving soil temperatures down to about -12°c[3].
This is a complicated species, or perhaps a group of very closely related species, some members of which are probably native to Europe[4]. It is a parent of the cultivated garden tulips[4].
The flowers are sweetly scented[5].
Bulbs can be harvested in June after they have died down and then stored in a cool dry place, being planted out again in October[1].
Range: The origin of this plant is obscure, though it is naturalized in S.W. Europe.
Habitat: In and around cultivated land[4].
Edibility: Bulb - cooked[6][7]. It can be dried and ground into a powder and then mixed with cereals when making bread etc[8][9]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Usage: Plants have been grown indoors in pots in order to help remove toxins from the atmosphere. It has been shown to help remove formaldehyde, xylene, and ammonia[10].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The bulb and the flowers have been known to cause dermatitis in sensitive people, though up to 5 bulbs a day can be eaten without ill-effect[11].
Also Known As: T. didieri. T. suaveolens. Hayek. non Roth.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Matthews, Victoria. The New Plantsman Volume 1. Royal Horticultural Society, 1994.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Wolverton, B. Eco-Friendly House Plants. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1996.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.