Flaming Hot!

Tulipa sprengeri, definitely the last of the tulips to flower. Here the rest were done with weeks ago when this fiery stunner was just a few inches high.

Described from plants found in NW Turkey, it has not been seen in the wild since 1896. Fortunately it is well established in cultivation although not freely available. The bulbs pull themselves down to great depths which makes them difficult for nursery production and they have a tendency to escape through the holes in the bottom of pots! . They are easy to raise from seed, indeed they will self seed when happy. However it takes four or five years from seed to flower.