Yellow-centred pink flower of tulip 'Lilac Wonder'

Small Wonders

Posted on by Ann Mackay

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The tulips in my garden are almost all gone now, but I did manage to photograph these flowers of Tulipa saxatilis (Bakeri group) ‘Lilac Wonder’ before they disappeared. This is a low-growing species tulip with small flowers that open into a star-shape in the sun.

As a species (or ‘botanical’) tulip, this one should come back every year and gradually increase over time. However, I have lost a few of the bulbs due to the path beside them being re-laid. (Note to self: keep bulbs away from the path or the edge of the bed in case of future change!)

To me, the name ‘Lilac Wonder’ seems somewhat inaccurate because they look much more pink than lilac. Perhaps lilac is seen as a more desirable (and therefore marketable) colour than pink? Flower colour can be named in rather wishful terms, especially when it comes to blue or black. (I’m thinking of the rose ‘Rhapsody in Blue’, which is a gorgeous purple with magenta tones, but certainly isn’t blue. You can see mine in this post. Then there’s Scabious atropurpurea ‘Chile Black’, which, photographed under strong studio lights, is obviously a deep red, not black. You can see it here.)

Actually, it’s the colour of their centres that I notice most about these flowers. That yellow glows brightly when the sun shines. It makes me think of the yolk of a fried egg…so it’s probably a good thing that the rest of the petal isn’t white!

Pink and yellow flowers of tulip 'Lilac Wonder'
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Published by Ann Mackay

Photographer, mixed-media art adventurer and completely daft about plants.......

17 thoughts on “Small Wonders”

  1. Oddly, the color of your tulips appears lilac to me, rather than pink. Of course, individual computers often change color, and I suppose that our personal definitions of pink or lilac may differ as well. Even botanists sometimes define a color quite different than I do. One of my favorite field guides occasionally puts white flowers in the pink section, or green flowers in the white section. Once I realized it could happen, I started page flipping more often!

    That said, this is an exceptionally pretty tulip. I smiled at your fried egg reference. Our invasive Macartney rose often is call the ‘fried egg flower’ because of its large golden center and white petals.

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    1. Yes, there’s a lot of things that can alter our perception of a colour – probably even the colours of whatever else is around it. Actually, I thought the tulips in my pictures looked a bit more lilac than they did in the garden – perhaps it was also the effect of the bright sunlight when I was looking at them. That is a lovely rose – much prettier than a fried egg! 🙂

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  2. You’re funny about the would-be resemblance to a fried egg.

    The species name atropurpurea means ‘dark purple’ or ‘black-purple’. That could describe the center of the flower whose photograph you linked to.

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  3. I agree about misleading plant names. I don’t see the point, does anyone really want a blue rose? This is such a pretty tulip and your photography as usual is fabulous.

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    1. Thank you! 🙂 I remember seeing a pack of supposedly blue tulip bulbs (very blue in the photo on the pack) when I was at a market in Amsterdam…I think there may have been some very disappointed buyers! Humans being the contrary creatures we are, you know that if the majority of roses were blue, we’d be desperate for some other colour.

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  4. I would say these are lilac. They are pretty. Maybe if I get around to emptying my large pots this year (they are a bit heavy so I struggle with them) I will buy some. I do like the species tulips.

    As for blues though I have the same issue with my so called blue scabious!

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  7. They’re sure eye-catching, and pink with rich egg-yolk yellow is pretty far-out! I think these flowers are both fabulous and hilarious! Would love to have them in my garden sometime!

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