Categories
Double Early Tulips, at 30 - 40 cm, are often a bit taller than the Single Early. Because they are double, the flowers have a more exuberant character. They flower for longer because there is less or no seed setting, which is a great advantage for both the enthusiast and the grower. They are again a bit more susceptible to bad weather because of their construction, but this is more than made up for by their lush shapes. Filled flowers generally arise from spontaneous mutations; the Double Early Tulips were first found early in the seventeenth century. The oldest still available are Purple Crown (1785) and Rex Rubrorum (after 1830). Only after the introduction of the sturdy “Murillo” in 1860 did it become an important group with more than 160 cultivars. New cultivars were also introduced in the 1940s and 1950s and more recently. Double Early Tulips are not only suitable for advancing, they are also favoured by many for use in pots and in cheerful spring bouquets.
