Single Late Tulips

Like Single Early Tulips, Single Late Tulips have elegant single flowers in a rainbow of colors. Unlike them, they are tall - about 18-30" (45-75cm) - and not quite as wind resistant. But then they flower later, in late April and May (see Buying Tulip Bulbs), when there is less of it about. They are extremely popular.

They are a combination of four obsolete tulip classes: Darwin Tulips, Cottage, Scheeper and Breeder, and they are now the oldest group of cultivated tulips.

Possible companions for Single Late Tulips are Triumph Tulips (mid April to early May), Darwin Hybrid Tulips (mid April to May), Double Late Tulips (late May), Viridiflora (Green Tulips) (mostly May), some Fringed Tulips, Parrot Tulips (May), and Lily-flowered Tulips (May), Aquilegias (May to June) and Extra Early Daylilies

Get your spring display off to an even earlier start with these March and/or April flowering varieties: Greigii Tulips (March and Early April), Fosteriana Tulips, Kaufmanniana Tulips, Single Tulips (early), some Botanical Tulips, Peony Tulips (Early), and Dogtooth Violets.

Very pretty single tulip in shades of pink with a white base. Height is 40" (24cm).

Strong stems, pure white flowers and a classic egg tulip shape have made Tulip Maureen a popular and well-known tulip. It has been around a while and was formerly classified as a Scheeper's Sport Tulip.

Height is 28" (70cm).

Nearly black tulips are becoming more and more popular, and new varieties are always been created to meet this demand. Dark single tulips are particularly elegant, especially when planted with contrasting lilac tulips or even cream ones.

Look out for Tulip Black Swan, Tulip 'Paul Scherer' and Queen of the Night (below) as well as Tulip 'Indian Velvet', which has deep plum, exceptionally long-lasting flowers on stems of 18-24" (0.55cm).

A striking single black tulip, Tulip 'Queen of the Night' is perhaps the most popular of the black tulips.

Tulipa 'Black Swan' is similar to Tulip 'Queen of the Night', except that it has more rounded and fuller flowers.

One of the best and blackest of the so-called black tulips, Tulip 'Paul Scherer' bears large sooty flowers on strong stems at a height of 20" (50cm) in April and May.

Striking canary-yellow single tulip.

This is a beautiful tulip with soft mauve-pink flowers, which have violet-pink veins. Inside, a heart of white is surrounded by a wide ring of deepest pink.

Tulipa 'Violet Beauty' looks great with other soft pastel tulips. Height is 18" (45cm) and stems are strong.

Pale lemon tulip, which fades to nearly white.

Cream and yellow buds open into big strong pale cream flowers with yellow centers. Very lovely.

At a height of up to 90cm (36"), Tulip Sky High Scarlet is just about the tallest of all red tulips.

Lovely pink-purple single flowers deepening to purple at the base and center on strong wind-proof stems.

Height is 18" (45cm).

Tulip Dordogne is a big beautiful shimmering two-tone tulip with soft pink petals, which give way to tangerine, almost yellow, edges. Pyramid-shaped buds hold their shape well and open into long lasting flowers, which are held on tall (60cm) wind-resistant stems.

The tulip's subtle colors contrast well with black single late tulips such as Tulip Queen of the Night. Or you could try it with Tulip Menton, a massive new two-tone single late tulip, which comes with soft salmon pink petals, which are tinged with apricot. Both flower in May and both make great cut flowers.

Tulip Dordogne is a Scheepers Hybrid.