Content
Tulips fascinate with their tenderness and beauty. These flowers belong to the genus of perennial herbaceous plants, numbering about 80 different species. One of the interesting and original representatives is the Bieberstein tulip, or oak tulip, which grows in the wild. The variety was named in honor of the first collector, a Russian botanist who studied the flora of the Caucasus, F.K. Biberstein-Marshall.
Externally, the Bieberstein tulip resembles a snowdrop
Description of the Bieberstein tulip
Bieberstein's tulip (tulipa biebersteiniana) belongs to the bulbous plants of the Liliaceae family. The bulb is small, 1-2 cm in diameter, cone-shaped, with black-brown scales and pubescence at the apex and base.
The stem of the flower is straight, bare, grows up to 15-40 cm in height. The color of the leaves is rich green, their length is about 3 cm.
The flowers are solitary, drooping, bright yellow. Their shape resembles an asterisk, the diameter of which does not exceed 3-5 cm. The fruits are an erect dry capsule with a sharp tip, about 1.5-2.5 cm long.
The Bieberstein tulip blooms with the onset of warm weather, in April-May, and bears fruit in May-June. The plant is quite light-loving, so flowering begins before the trees leaf out, the crowns of which can create excessive shadow. The flowers emit a strong, pleasant aroma.
It reproduces by daughter bulbs and seeds; the plant spontaneously throws out ripened seeds around itself.
Seeds germinate easily, forming entire flower meadows
Where does the Bieberstein tulip grow?
Under natural conditions, the Bieberstein tulip grows in the steppes, on rocky calcareous slopes, saline areas, shaded forest edges and in thickets of bushes. It is found everywhere in the European part of Russia (Moscow, Rostov, Volgograd regions), in the North Caucasus (Krasnodar and Stavropol territories), in Western Siberia, in the east and southeast of Europe, in southwest and northern Asia, in Kazakhstan.
Is the Bieberstein tulip listed in the Red Book?
The Biberstein tulip grows in several specially protected natural areas (SPNA) in Russia. The flower is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow, Astrakhan, Lipetsk, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Volgograd, Penza and Rostov regions, Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. It also has protected status in the republics of Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Kalmykia, Mordovia, and Chechnya.
Plowing virgin steppes, quarrying, and collecting flowering plants for bouquets lead to a decrease in the population of the crop.
Is it possible to grow a Bieberstein tulip?
Despite the fact that the Bieberstein tulip is a wild crop, it can also be grown in garden plots.
It is important to adhere to these rules:
- It is necessary to choose the right place for planting. It is best to give preference to spacious, open and bright areas. You can grow flowers in partial shade. Places that are too shaded are strictly not suitable. Plants also do not feel well under the scorching rays of the sun; they will quickly wither. The rotting of the roots can be caused by the close occurrence of groundwater, which “washes away” them.
- Preference should be given to loamy fertile soils. The best option is neutral soil into which you can add fertilizer yourself.
- Planting can be done in both spring and autumn, but the most favorable period is autumn.
- It is recommended to make planting holes small, placing them at a certain distance from each other. You can prevent rotting of the root system by filling the bottom of the hole with sand.
- Bulbs planted in the fall will have time to form roots before the onset of frost, so they should be covered for the winter. It is necessary to carry out pre-winter preparation before the onset of the first frost. Humus or peat are suitable as covering materials.
The Bieberstein tulip needs proper and regular care, which consists of timely but moderate watering, loosening the soil and removing weeds.
It is recommended to fertilize plants with complex fertilizers no more than 3 times per season:
- before emergence;
- during bud ripening;
- during the flowering period.
Fertilizers in dry form can be applied even when the snow has not completely melted in the spring. Complex fertilizers are added during watering.During the flowering period, potassium-phosphorus fertilizers should be used.
After each watering, the soil must be loosened. Such procedures have a beneficial effect on the development of perennial tulips.
It is also necessary to promptly remove weeds around the plants. Weeds growing near flowers will draw nutrients from the soil, which can cause them to become sick. Sometimes even weeds can cause a lack of flowering.
It is recommended to dig up Bieberstein tulips for the winter. In this case, it is necessary to dig up not in the fall, but immediately after flowering. Next, the bulbs should be disinfected, dried and stored for winter.
Conclusion
Bieberstein's tulip is an unpretentious, vegetatively propagated, wild plant that can easily be grown at home. It can be successfully used for landscaping personal plots, creating a variety of landscape compositions, flower beds and rock gardens. With proper and regular care, Bieberstein tulips will delight you with their bright blooms every year in early spring.
