Purple Prince Tulip Bulbs, Early Single

Tulipa Purple Prince

He is a handsome devil this one. Purple Prince flowers are the classic tulip egg shape. The colour is not quite imperial purple but a sort of deep plum purple with a dark lilac-purple flame to the petals which have a satiny sheen to them. Its crowning glory is a brimstone yellow anther which is visible within the flower and provides a striking contrast to the luxurious petals. The leaves are reasonably generous and the points come almost up to the flower petals giving this classic tulip its compact look. This is a superb flower, displaying masses of good breeding. A great addition to our selection of premium tulip bulbs.

Gardening with Purple Prince

A tulip with such panache is fine enough to be grown in swathes throughout bedding schemes or mingled into an herbaceous border. Its rich colouring is not obtrusive and blends well with all colours, perhaps except for scarlet red. Tulips always look good when grown with some of the prairie plants so loved by Piet Oudolf because many of them are yet to show their true colours and as they grow, they hide the dying tulip foliage. The wild daffodil Pseudonarcissus is however also out in April and together they make a fetching couple. Or try to interplant it with other Early Single tulips like Diana or Candy Prince in which case your best bet is to buy the whole collection to vet the range of potential suitors. All the Early Single tulips work well in pots or planters because of their short stature and early arrival when there is little else that has really got going in the garden. Purple Prince is no exception and looks particularly fine with lead (or even fake lead) planters.

Features

• Height: 35 cm
• Colour: perfect purple
• Flowering time: mid-April
• Group: Single Early
• Foliage: bluey-green

Tulip Lore

For some reason there are many tulips called Prince. We would never have particularly thought that tulips were especially masculine flowers but this little bit of verse is maybe quite apt:

"The tulip & the butterfly
Appear in gayer coats than I:
Let me be dressed fine as I will,
Flies, worms, & flowers exceed me still."
Isaac Watts, 1647- 1748