A single tulip

I have lived at my current home since 2002. In that time in my front yard landscaping there has always been a tulip whose leaves would grow but it never produced a single flower. This year one single stem popped up and produced a beautiful blood red to black flower. The stem itself is at least 2 feet tall.

I am taking it as a good omen. For myself, and the rest of us if possible.

Anyway, I think its really cool that a dormant plant finally bloomed after 16 years (or maybe longer for all I know).

a reply to: Fools


What a lovely story.

You probably know this, but after flowering just let it fade down and wither up. It will look ugly but resist cleaning it up. By doing so you are allowing energy to go back to the bulb for the next year.

That's really sweet & gave me the good feels.

Thanks

-Alee

originally posted by: Fools
I have lived at my current home since 2002. In that time in my front yard landscaping there has always been a tulip whose leaves would grow but it never produced a single flower. This year one single stem popped up and produced a beautiful blood red to black flower. The stem itself is at least 2 feet tall.

I am taking it as a good omen. For myself, and the rest of us if possible.

Anyway, I think its really cool that a dormant plant finally bloomed after 16 years (or maybe longer for all I know).

I've the same thing! Lived in my house here for 12 years. Cut down single tulip growing alone by the fence.. Next year? Back again.. So I dug it up and out completely. Next year? Back again, same spot.

In following years.. It's been back sometimes just 1, others... 2-3 or more. I started mowing it down grass cutting, mulching, diggng it out... doesn't matter.

Last week... stalk/stem back again this year. Yesterday? Pulled up in drive and...? 5 yellow tulips there. I haven't a CLUE why or what's up!

Now I can understand this stubborn grapevine too in back that keeps coming back, whether I rip all the roots out or not... but this single tulip? I can only surmise it's some kind of message... But to who and for what.... no idea... !

a reply to: mysterioustranger
It's not magic or messages, that's self-propagation at work. Bulb plants self-propagate pretty easily. And if you're trying to remove them, it's very easy to miss a bulb if you don't know they have them, or if they're small bulbs. Just ripping them out doesn't do the trick, you have to get dirty and get in there and find ALL of them or they just come back anyway.

Last year, one of my daughters bought Asiatic lilies to put in our flower bed. I planted 4 plants from that one pot we purchased. This year? I counted 8 lily shoots coming up in that area, and there may be more behind them. The bulbs propagated very well, one cropped up a good foot & a half away from the main bunch from last year. I'm going to be moving that one, it doesn't look right where it came up.

Other lily plants in less hospitable spots around the yard have slowly done the same and propagated since we moved in. Some spots are getting lush enough by themselves to need thinned out. There are spots like under the deck where I've done my best to get every last bulb in there up to put in a more favorable area, but can't seem to ever get them all. There's a cluster of at least 6 coming up that I'll be moving elsewhere again.

The lone tulip someone planted by the front porch before we lived here is not in the best spot, nothing really does well in that exact spot (probably because it's where the winter run-off from the salted porch goes) However, it too has finally propagated, I have 2 lovely tulips there this year for a change.

a reply to: Fools


I have one as well! I will also take it as a good sign!

a reply to: mysterioustranger

Tulips are part of the Allium family, the family onions belong to. So they basically sprout from bulbs.

Every time I've removed tulips they've had a string of bulbs vertically, literally one bulb under another that are connected. No space in between the bulbs.

If you don't get all the bulbs they'll keep coming back, I remember doing a driveway as a kid and finding hundreds of bulbs under paving stones. They apparently didn't sprout for at least 10 years.

Hardy little blighters, I have a lot of respect for their tenacity to live.

a reply to: Nyiah

Yep and tulip bulbs are pretty small too. Around 2cm by 2cm is the biggest I've seen... Not that I make a habit of removing them, or planting them for that matter.

Bonny little plants though, I won't deny that.

This afternoon? Now there's a bunch of blue-ish purple ones coming in next to the yellow!

I will care for them all now. They have more of a will to live than I do!!

Thanks....

originally posted by: Nyiah
a reply to: mysterioustranger
It's not magic or messages, that's self-propagation at work. Bulb plants self-propagate pretty easily. And if you're trying to remove them, it's very easy to miss a bulb if you don't know they have them, or if they're small bulbs. Just ripping them out doesn't do the trick, you have to get dirty and get in there and find ALL of them or they just come back anyway.

Last year, one of my daughters bought Asiatic lilies to put in our flower bed. I planted 4 plants from that one pot we purchased. This year? I counted 8 lily shoots coming up in that area, and there may be more behind them. The bulbs propagated very well, one cropped up a good foot & a half away from the main bunch from last year. I'm going to be moving that one, it doesn't look right where it came up.

Other lily plants in less hospitable spots around the yard have slowly done the same and propagated since we moved in. Some spots are getting lush enough by themselves to need thinned out. There are spots like under the deck where I've done my best to get every last bulb in there up to put in a more favorable area, but can't seem to ever get them all. There's a cluster of at least 6 coming up that I'll be moving elsewhere again.

The lone tulip someone planted by the front porch before we lived here is not in the best spot, nothing really does well in that exact spot (probably because it's where the winter run-off from the salted porch goes) However, it too has finally propagated, I have 2 lovely tulips there this year for a change.

Thank you Nyiah for all the info! See my other reply about the new ones above!
PS love your "Awiens" cats!!!

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
This afternoon? Now there's a bunch of blue-ish purple ones coming in next to the yellow!

I will care for them all now. They have more of a will to live than I do!!

Thanks....

I really shouldn't laugh but I did.

Screw dragon power, maybe you just need to call up your bulb power.

Ain't nothing can stop da bulb.

a reply to: Fools

I LOVE tulips and this is great.

Do you have a picture of it??

My boyfriend lives in Holland and I am envious of the tulip fields there. I would love to see them. I hope to plan my trip next year around tulip season so I can go and see all the fields and go on the biking tour they have there!

originally posted by: mblahnikluver
a reply to: Fools

I LOVE tulips and this is great.

Do you have a picture of it??

My boyfriend lives in Holland and I am envious of the tulip fields there. I would love to see them. I hope to plan my trip next year around tulip season so I can go and see all the fields and go on the biking tour they have there!

Tulip Time in Holland, MI starts this weekend, we may venture out there at some point while it's going on (it'd be our first time going) I'll be sure to take a few tulip pictures & post them for you

originally posted by: Nyiah

originally posted by: mblahnikluver
a reply to: Fools

I LOVE tulips and this is great.

Do you have a picture of it??

My boyfriend lives in Holland and I am envious of the tulip fields there. I would love to see them. I hope to plan my trip next year around tulip season so I can go and see all the fields and go on the biking tour they have there!

Tulip Time in Holland, MI starts this weekend, we may venture out there at some point while it's going on (it'd be our first time going) I'll be sure to take a few tulip pictures & post them for you

Yes!! Heck it would be cheaper for me to go to Holland, MI instead of actual Holland haha!
I would love to see pics!!

originally posted by: mblahnikluver
a reply to: Fools

I LOVE tulips and this is great.

Do you have a picture of it??

My boyfriend lives in Holland and I am envious of the tulip fields there. I would love to see them. I hope to plan my trip next year around tulip season so I can go and see all the fields and go on the biking tour they have there!

Just took one about an hour ago - still had most petals but was getting dry I guess. Will upload soon.