Parrot Tulips (Ruffled Tulips)
Ranked #541 in Home & Garden, #9,204 overall
Love them or hate them, Parrot Tulips are Spring's grand finale
Together with Darwin Hybrid Tulips, Parrot Tulips are the largest of all tulips. Big and beautiful, they have flamboyant flowers with streaks, ruffles and frayed edges. They are also among the last bulbs in the year to flower, eclipsing subtler Tulips, such as Single Late Tulips, which appear at the same time, but are they just too over the top?
In all there are about 120 varieties, ranging from the nearly white Tulip Super Parrot to the nearly black Tulip Black Parrot. In between, flowers are green, gold, orange, mauve and much much more.
In all there are about 120 varieties, ranging from the nearly white Tulip Super Parrot to the nearly black Tulip Black Parrot. In between, flowers are green, gold, orange, mauve and much much more.
Where to Buy Parrot Tulip Bulbs
Blooming Bulb sells Tulips 'Fantasy', Black Parrot, Orange Favourite, Rococo, White Parrot and many others.
Dutch Gardens has Tulip 'Super Parrot', Tulip 'Silver Parrot and Tulip 'Star of Parrots'.
Dutch Gardens has Tulip 'Super Parrot', Tulip 'Silver Parrot and Tulip 'Star of Parrots'.
Buy Parrot Tulips Bulbs at Amazon
Top 10 Parrot Tulips
Best Ruffled Tulips
Not all Ruffled Tulips are bright and brash. Some more dignified ones include Tulip 'White Parrot', which has yellow-tinged ruffled white petals, the pure white Tulip 'Snow Parrot' and the beautiful nearly black Tulip Black Parrot
1) Tulip Black Parrot
One of the best black tulips
Perhaps the best of the so-called black tulips, Tulip 'Black Parrot' has nearly black and very dark maroon petals. Try them with May-flowering black daylilies and Aquilegia 'Black Barlow'. Buy Tulip Black Parrot Bulbs
2) Tulip Apricot Parrot
Award-winning two-tone flowers
Tough and distinctive, Tulip 'Apricot Parrot' bears single apricot flowers tinged with pink. It is one of the few Ruffled Tulips to have been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's prestigious Award of Garden Merit.
Buy Tulip 'Apricot Parrot' Bulbs
3) Tulip Super Parrot
Nearly White Ruffled Tulip
Tulip 'Super Parrot' with its gorgeous green and white ruffled flowers make a great cut flower.
From $1.50 a bulb at Dutch Gardens
From $1.50 a bulb at Dutch Gardens
4) Tulip Rococo
The most frilly
Chintzy Tulip 'Rococo' has Victorian looking red and wine-red very frilly petals. It's a great companion for other less showy red tulips. Rococo up Close
5) Tulip Texas Flame
The loudest
Perhaps the brashest of all Parrot Tulips, 'Texas Flame' has bright orange and red strips.
6) Tulip Blue Parrot
More mauve-black than blue, Tulip 'Blue Parrot' is an unusual slightly metallic looking tulip. It'll bring out the blue tones of May flowering Alliums, such as Alliums Globemaster and Gladiator.
Buy Tulip 'Blue Parrot' Bulbs
7) Tulip Green Wave
Unique green flowers with petals that fade to pink with a remaining green stripe.
Where to buy Tulip Flowers
Flowers Fast - Assorted Tulips
8) Tulip Estella Rijnveld
Tulip 'Estella Rijnveld' has bright red and white streaked flowers.
Buy Tulip Estella Rijnveld
UK
Buy Tulip Estella Rijnveld Bulbs (US)
9) Tulip Orange Favourite
Orange and Salmon Tulip 'Orange Favourite' looks great with green Tulips.
10) Tulip Silver Parrot
Unusual variegated foliage
A luxurious tulip with variegated foliage and multicolored flowers. Creamy white petals are streaked with yellow and feather edged with pink, while centers are splashed with yellow and stamens are nearly black. More Spring Bulbs and Flowers
March and April Flowering Bulbs
Flowering in May, Parrot Tulips are among the last tulips to flower. April and/or March flowering tulips include Greigii Tulips, Fosteriana Tulips, Kaufmanniana Tulips, Single Early Tulips, some Species Tulips, Peony Tulips, Triumph Tulips, Darwin Tulips and Single Late Tulips.
If you're looking for something a little different for April, Erythroniums, also called Fawn Lilies., which gorgeous lily-like flowers and broad showy leaves, while spring-flowering perennials such as Columbine and Extra Eearly Daylilies will flower in May and June but
If you're looking for something a little different for April, Erythroniums, also called Fawn Lilies., which gorgeous lily-like flowers and broad showy leaves, while spring-flowering perennials such as Columbine and Extra Eearly Daylilies will flower in May and June but
More Ruffled Tulips
Black, Pink Red and Purple
There are some 120 Parrot Tulip varieties. Here are some more of the best.
Pink Parrot Tulips
Tulips Amethyst, Destiny and Fantasy
Tulip Amethyst
Delicious strawberry-icecream colored flowers with edges fading to silvery pink
Tulip Destiny
Rare pink-red tulip with white centers and white tips.
Tulip Dillenburg's Parrot
Heirloom Tulip
A rare "art shades" survival from the early 20th century, Tulipa 'Dillenburg's Parrot' is a lovely combination of peach and rose
Tulip 'Fantasy'
Sugary pink Tulip 'Fantasy' has deep pink petals tinged with green.
Tulip 'Weber's Parrot'
Pink and White Tulip
Popular creamy white and strawberry pink ruffled tulip.
Other Pink Parrot Tulips
Tulipa 'Pink Panther' and Tulipa 'Quasimodo' are more difficult to find that those above.
Red Parrot Tulips
Tulip Amiral de Constantinople, Bastogne Parrot, Bird of Paradise Carmine Parrot and Erna Lindgreen
Tulip Amiral de Constantinople
17th century Parrot Tulip
A rare beauty, this is one of only two parrot tulip varieties to have survived from the 1600s. Flowers are a captivating combination of dark red, green, wine and gold. Tulipa 'Amiral de Constantinople' was introduced in 1665, probably in Flanders.
Tulip Bastogne Parrot
Rich red flowers smudged with marroon.
Tulip Bird of Paradise
Artists' favorite
Burnished red flowers with yellow bases and orange-tipped feathered petals
Tulip Blumex
One of the newest varieties
Multi-colored Tulip with dark red, orange, blue and pink among its colors. Inside it's bright yellow with blue-black anthers.
Tulip Carmine Parrot
A real showstopper, this gorgeous deep red ruffled tulip has centers of deepest blue.
Tulip Erna Lindgreen
Deep red Tulip 'Erna Lindgreen' has petals bruised with black.
Tulip Red Parrot
Stunning ruffled cherry red flowers with unusual green and bronze foliage.
Height is 20" (50cm).
Height is 20" (50cm).
Tulip Fire Bird
Red Parrot Tulip
Satiny red frayed tulip with nearly black accents. Rare.
Tulipa 'Holland Happening'
Mostly crimson tulip with yellow and green highlights and dark centers. Leaves have dark green low-lights.
Rare Red Parrot Tulips
Rarer and harder to find red Parrot Tulips include Tulipa 'Topparrot', Tulipa 'Destiny' (red and white), Tulipa 'Doorman's Record', Tulipa 'Giant Parrot', Tulipa 'Karel Doorman', Tulipa 'Red Cap', Tulipa 'Red Champion', Tulipa 'Red Devil', Tulipa 'Red Sensation' and Tulipa 'Cerise Parrot'
Tulip Bright Parrot
This well-named tulip has bright orange flowers with bright yellow edges Tulip King Parrot
Unusual color combination
This is a rarely seen yellow and orange ruffled tulip, which once open is edged with scarlet. Very striking.
Tulip Professor Röntgen
Strong-stemmed sumptous parrot tulip with green, orange and apricot flowers
Other Orange Parrot Tulips
Tulipa 'Monarch Parrot' and Tulipa 'Orangerie' are also orange.
Tulipa Baritone
Baritone Tulip
Dusty Red parrot tulip fading to yellow at the edges.
Purple and Lilac Parrot Tulips
Includes Tulip Rai.
Tulip Rai
Striking variety for indoor displays
Tulip Rai comes in shades of purple with bright green highlights. Great for indoor displays.
More Purple Parrot Tulips
Tulipa 'Air' (white and violet), Tulipa 'Caland', Tulipa 'Caprice', Tulipa 'Diana Ross' and Tulipa 'Muriel' are also varying shades of purple, violet and lilac.
White Parrot Tulips
These include Tulip Super Parrot (above) and Tulip White Parrot
Tulip White Parrot
Delicious apple-green streaked snow-white flowers.
Tulipa 'Witte Rebel'
Witte Rebel Tulip
Exquisite pure white flowers with green feathers in the center of each petal.
Yellow Parrot Tulips
Tulip Texas Gold
Stunning Yellow, Red and Green Tulip
Golden flowers edged with red and streaked with green, which fades with age. Tulip Blondine
Yellow Tulip
Gorgeous pale yellow parrot tulip tinged with pink and green.
Fast facts
Parrot Tulips at a glance
- Height Between 40 cms (16 inches) and 60cm (24 inches)
- Position Sun or shade
- Hardy and reliable
- Excellent cut flowers
- Often scented
- Easy to grow
- Colors Just about all except pure black and pure blue
- Very large flowers open out until they almost flat
- Buds are tinged with green which fades as they open
- Most Parrot Tulips are bred from mutations of Late Flowering Tulips and Triumph Tulips
- Parrot Tulips are so named because their petals look like a parrot's beak
Top Tips
- Parrot or Ruffled Tulips are among the biggest of all Tulips, and their flower heads are densely packed with petals. Give their tall laden stems a helping hand by planting bulbs en masse, so they can support each other, and also out of high winds. Plant them 7.5cm (2-3 inches) apart.
- Although many Parrot Tulips can tolerate semi-shade, not all are fully hardy, so plant bulbs in the warmest part of the garden - usually near the house.
- Remember you can hide Tulips' dying leaves - which must be left for six weeks after flowering - by planting bulbs in long meadow grass or among fast-growing spring perennials or annuals.
- Cut Parrot Tulip flowers are best placed in a tall vase, so the large flowers don't droop. Remember that Tulips continue to grow once cut, so give them space to do so.
All Tulips
More Tulips
Find out about black tulips and what's so special about Darwin Hybrid Tulips.
Summer Bulbs
Daylilies
Roses
Find out how to tell a rambling rose from a climber.
Tulip Books on Amazon
Love them or hate them? You decide
Vote for or against Parrot Tulips
Do you love Parrot Tulips or Hate Them?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byLove Them
warringtons says:
Love them. Once you've grown to love tulips in general, then see these snaggletoothed perversions, it's like a whole new level of intensity.
Posted December 06, 2011
John_Michael says:
They are an interesting variation on the original versions
Posted November 20, 2011
Hate Them
mihgasper says:
Don't hate the really, but I prefer some other flowers... And i am sure some people really hated tulips when they lost a lot of money because of speculations! I guess this is another story;-)
Posted February 05, 2012
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mihgasper
Feb 5, 2012 @ 2:17 am | delete
- Beautiful flowers and amazing lens. Salute to both!
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blackspanielgallery
Jan 23, 2012 @ 8:53 am | delete
- Nice lens.
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blackspanielgallery
Jan 23, 2012 @ 8:53 am | delete
- Nice lens.
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cffutah
Jan 21, 2012 @ 4:42 pm | delete
- enjoyed the read and the viewing of this article.
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jadehorseshoe
Jan 3, 2012 @ 6:05 pm | delete
- This is a magical lens!
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by Garden_Plants
Garden_Plants
I'm a journalist who loves gardening. I garden in the UK, but I've also had a go in California, Spain and France.
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