About
Tulipa 'Mistress Mystic' is a spring-flowering bulbous tulip in the Liliaceae that produces the showy blooms typical of the genus. It is a perennial, herbaceous geophyte that appears each spring and then retreats to summer dormancy once foliage dies back. Flowering occurs in the UK from March to May. Allowing the leaves to wither naturally helps the bulb replenish for the following season.
About the genus
Tulips are spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes in the Tulipa genus. Their flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly coloured, generally red, orange, pink, yellow, or white. They often have a different coloured blotch at the base of the tepals, internally.
Wikipedia contributors, "Tulip", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Tulip
In the garden
Tulipa 'Mistress Mystic' belongs to the Tulipa genus within the lily family, Liliaceae. As with other tulips, it is a bulbous, herbaceous perennial that emerges and flowers in spring, then becomes dormant in summer after the flowers and leaves die back. The group has a long history of cultivation and has been grown widely beyond its original range from southern Europe to central Asia. Flowering in the UK runs from March to May; the bulbs produce their above-ground display in that window and then withdraw underground. Let the foliage die down naturally rather than cutting it back while green so the bulb can store energy for the next season. Tulips typically suit sites that match temperate-spring conditions and will go through an annual cycle of spring growth followed by summer dormancy. In practice, Tulipa 'Mistress Mystic' works where a seasonal spring display is acceptable and where brief summer gaps can be accommodated or filled with summer-planted companions. Its predictable spring timing makes it useful for planned displays that rely on a burst of colour over those March–May weeks, after which the bulbs rest until the following spring.
From the Fenn Plants journal
- Notes on DaffodilsWhen to plant daffodil bulbs in the UK, how deep, how to naturalise them in grass, why daffodils stop flowering (“blindness”), and why you should never mix cut daffodils with other flowers.
- Keeping Your NerveHow to garden through a heatwave — the best time to water, why deep soaks beat daily sprinkles, caring for pots and vulnerable plants, and why you can let the lawn go brown.
- Made to LastHow to clean, store and protect garden pots and planters — the frost-proof vs frost-resistant difference, winter care for terracotta and ceramic, and how to reuse a broken pot.
More in the Tulipa genus
- Tulipa 'Groenland' (8)tulip 'Groenland'
- Tulipa 'Holland Chic' (6)
- Tulipa 'Salmon Dynasty' (3)
- Tulipa 'Smyrna' (14)
- Tulipa clusiana 'Chitral Vale' (15)Lady Tulip
- Tulipa sprengeriSprenger tulip
- Tulipa 'Adriaan T. Dominique' (8)
- Tulipa 'Annika' (15)