We all love a very long-flowering tulip, so last spring we recorded exactly how long each one looked good. Some tulips age with elegance, but not all. You’ll find varieties with lots of green in the petals – ‘Viridifloras’, and varieties such as ‘Evergreen’ – flower the longest. If you look at the petals, the green section is more like a calyx, and has a stronger, more robust texture than petals. Dark reds also seem to last better than most in the garden; also the peony-flowered varieties, where the nectaries have been bred to be extra petals, so they’re sterile (although not good news for pollinators). These flower for a good month and last at least two weeks in the vase.
