Long ago, in the 17th and 18th centuries, tulips with petals showing flamed patterns—also known as “broken tulips”—sold for extraordinarily high prices. Today we know that this striking color-breaking effect is caused by certain viral diseases, but back then, of course, the concept of viruses was completely unknown. Some of these classic Rembrandt tulips can still be admired in the famous bulb garden, the Hortus Bulborum, in the Dutch town of Limmen. Even now, we can fall under the spell of these majestic tulips, since very few other cultivars display such bold, fiery patterns without any sign of disease.
Most significant cultivars
- ‘Cordell Hull’: creamy white
- ‘Olympic Flame’: yellow, flamed red
- ‘Prince Carnaval’: yellow, flamed red
- ‘Sorbet’: rosy white
Type of bulb: bulb
