Tulip Apricot Parrot

Tulip 'Apricot Parrot', All the Colors of a Sunset, Packed Into One Flower

If you've ever looked at a Dutch Golden Age still life painting and wondered whether flowers like that actually exist in real life, Apricot Parrot is your answer. This is one of the most celebrated parrot tulips in the world, a four-time award winner, and once you see it in bloom, the accolades make complete sense. The petals are enormous, ruffled, and deeply scalloped along the edges, twisting and feathering outward the way parrot tulips do. The color is where things get really interesting. Apricot Parrot opens in a complex layering of soft apricot-yellow, warm coral-pink, creamy white, and green, all on the same flower, all shifting and blending as the bloom matures and opens wider in the sun. A subtle brushstroke of soft green flares out from the center of the petals and transitions into softer shades along the scalloped edge. By the time the flower is fully open it flattens out dramatically, almost like it's showing off, and the full range of color becomes impossible to ignore. It's slightly fragrant too, just enough to notice when you lean in. Apricot Parrot is soft apricot-yellow with tinges of creamy-white, yellow, salmon-pink and green, and that description still doesn't quite do justice to how those tones shift as the bloom matures through the week. It's the kind of flower that looks different every time you walk past it. Taller and more uniform than Salmon Parrot, with more deeply scalloped petals, and more coral-pink in tone, so if you've grown Salmon Parrot before, Apricot Parrot is a step up in presence and refinement. The blooms reach around 5 inches across on stems that grow 18 to 20 inches tall, making them excellent for cutting. Harvest while the buds still show just a hint of color on the outer petals and they'll open beautifully indoors, lasting well over a week. In the garden, Apricot Parrot blooms in late spring, May for most of the country, right at the tail end of tulip season when everything else is winding down. That late timing is part of its charm. It extends the spring display further than most tulips, and its warm peachy tones bridge the gap naturally into early summer colors. Plant it with soft pink or white tulips, white daffodils, or blush ranunculus for a combination that feels warm and painterly. It also holds its own planted in a single-variety drift, 20 or more bulbs together creates a sweep of color that genuinely stops people in their tracks. A sheltered spot is worth considering. Like all parrot tulips, the blooms are large and the petals are somewhat delicate, a sheltered location protects them from wind and spring rain that can bruise those feathery edges before their time.

Quick Facts  
Type: Division 10, Parrot Tulip
Color: Soft apricot-yellow with coral-pink, creamy white, and green
Fragrance: Light
Bloom time: Late spring (May)
Bloom size: Approx. 5 inches across
Height: 18-20 inches
Hardiness: USDA Zones 3-7
Sun: Full sun
Awards: Four-time award winner; RHS Award of Garden Merit
Best use: Borders, cutting garden, mixed arrangements  

Planting Tips
Plant in fall once soil temperatures drop below 55°F. Set bulbs 5 to 8 inches deep, pointed end up, spaced 4 to 6 inches apart. Well-drained soil is essential, parrot tulips are late bloomers and bulbs sitting in wet ground over a long winter are more prone to rot. Full sun gives the strongest stems and the most vivid color. For cut flower production, plant bulbs close together. For garden beds, group at least 20 to 25 together for real visual weight. After blooming, leave the foliage in place until it yellows naturally, this is what fuels the bulb for next year.

• One Of The Most Popular Parrot Tulips
• A Real Eye Catcher!
• Excellent Cut Flower