Believed to be the sole surviver of tulips from the Ottoman Empire, this is an ancient and exotic-looking tulip. Upright yellow buds with blood-tipped spears for petals bend, droop and curl as they open out into huge wispy flowers in late April. They are tall too - 40cm (16"). Keep out of strong wind and sideways rain; great for pots. As this is a species tulip, it will also naturalize well, althought it is now extinct in the wild.