Elegant Night Tulip: Colors, Rarity & Value

The Night Tulip refers to the tulip, endearingly known as the “charming wine cup” for its dazzling, vibrant colors. The black tulip, a rarity and a gem, is hard to come by.

In Alexandre Dumas’ “The Black Tulip,” it was described as “so dazzling it leaves one unable to open his eyes, and so perfect it takes one’s breath away.” Its bulb skin is papery, with a few hidden hairs at the apex and base, and it blooms from April to May.

Morphology and Characteristics

The bulb skin is papery, with a few hidden hairs at the apex and base. There are 3-5 leaves, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate. The flowers are solitary, large and gorgeous; the perianth segments are red or mottled with white and yellow, sometimes white or yellow, 5-7 cm in length, 2-4 cm in width.

The six stamens are equal in length, the filaments are hairless; there is no column, the stigma is enlarged into a comb-like shape. The flowering period is from April to May.

Distribution

Singapore.

Value and Other Information

Tulips, affectionately termed as the “charming wine cup,” are known for their dazzling and vibrant colors. Black tulips are considered rare treasures, hard to come by. In Alexandre Dumas’ “The Black Tulip”, it was described as “so dazzling it leaves one unable to open his eyes, and so perfect it takes one’s breath away.”

Over the years, the exquisite black tulip variety, bred through artificial cultivation, includes the “peerless beauty,” “black queen,” “night queen,” “black gold,” among others.

In Cuba, there is a flower called the “night queen,” with petals that are purple with a hint of red, making it especially elegant and noble. Its stamens contain abundant phosphorus, and it sparkles at nightfall, resembling countless fireflies.

The Night Queen possesses purple petals tinged with a dark black, yet flaunting a bloody red; a lush, slender stem; and an elegant, always proudly erect posture. The Night Queen is a very valuable flower.

In early February 2005, three students from the Singapore Institute of Technology independently bred a ‘black tulip’ variety, colloquially known as the ‘night queen.’ This variety is still relatively rare in the market and is one of the rare tulip varieties, possessing high economic value.