ID this plant?

[Higgs Boson]

HB

[David E. Ross]

Both the flower and leaves appear to be from a "Dutch" tulip. Don't bother planting it in the ground. Where you live (coastal southern California), tulips are treated as annuals. They are perennial only where there is snow in the winter. Even where I live (inland southern California), we don't get enough winter chill for the classic Dutch tulip.

If you really want tulips in your garden, try lady tulips (Tulipa clausiana). It does not require winter chill.

[Higgs Boson]

Thanks, David. I haven't the faintest idea where this came from. I've never had tulips. In fact I have near zero experience with bulbs. (It is a bulb?) So just let this bloom? And then? Wikipedia's article seems to (sort of) suggest that if the plant undergoes "vernalization" it might bloom again.

HB

[Paul Rix]

Hi, Well, it is definitly a tulip, but I think it is one of the 'new hybrids' between the many species tulips.

Yours isn't a 'dutch' tulip, these grow a foot or more high with one flower per stem. Contrary to popular mythe they do not need frost to grow and/or flower. It is true, commercial cut flower producers chill the bulbs down to 38f for a few weeks prior to planting in green houses at 70 degrees to 'force' them into flower.

Back to your plant, Plant it in an alpine bed, if you have a spot shaded from the strongest of the sun then it should be fine.

Remove the individual flowers as soon as they have 'gone over' don't wait for all the petals to drop. It may flower again next year, you should end up with a small clump of bulbs, leave them for three years, then lift and split them after flowering, as the leaves begin to die off. Then replant them.

I think I have seen the one in the picture being sold as 'Fangio' or 'Fandango', but there are so many of them, but it is certainly one of the species types being multi flowered on a single stem, equally it is a hybrid.

Many of these will thrive in an alpine setting, even in your climate. All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

[Brooklyn1]

There's really nothing particularly "Dutch" about tulips, only that there happen to be many tulip nurserys in the Netherlands.

[Paul Rix]

Hi Brooklyn, absolutely right! there's more daffodils and tulips within 30 miles of here than all of Holland! most of the dutch who grow them for cut flowers get their bulbs from here!

To clarify things, in this instance however 'dutch' referred to a type usually grown for cut flowers as well as garden display.

All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]