Heirloom Flower Bulbs

In years past, the horticultural world classified a variety as an heirloom because its discovery or horticultural registration predated 1938. As the decades have flown by, varieties from the 1940s and even early 1950s are now being referred to as heirlooms.

Heirloom flower bulbs have been an important aspect of garden design and restoration for decades. Special sections of federal, state, municipal, museum and private gardens open to the public are often restored with heirloom varieties according to historic documentation. Private homes may choose heirloom varieties based on childhood memories of a grandparent's or parent's garden, or the style or age of the home.

From a horticultural perspective, it is valuable in and of itself to preserve and maintain as much plant diversity as is possible. Nothing is more sad than a 'lost tulip' (to borrow the title of Eric Breed's book Lost Tulips). Each variety is so distinctly special and important in its own way. We do our best to offer the widest selection possible in an effort to reduce the extinction of any rare, beautiful variety.

Heirloom bulbs can be incorporated easily into formal, well-kept display gardens, yet we adore most heirlooms because they are perfect inhabitants for more natural, even wild, settings. They seem to be closer to the earth, to Mother Nature. Dutch flower bulb hybridization tends to focus more on varieties that are good for cut flower production or for forcing in pots. Heirlooms offer us an amazing palette of colors, heights, forms, textures, bloom times and growing characteristics. They are treasures of the earth, worthy of our attention and protection.

Most special miscellaneous heirlooms are botanical species that were originally found in the wild before being commercially cultivated in the Netherlands. Heirloom Tulips and Narcissi were either found in the wild (in the case of species varieties), a result of early hybridization efforts, or of natural mutation and selection during the commercial growing process in the Netherlands.

Heirloom varieties have survived the trials and tribulations of Mother Nature for decades, and in many cases, centuries. They are tough survivors. Visits to northern and central Europe will reveal vast sun dappled woodlands carpeted with 16th century Hyacinthoides non-scripta, for example. The northwest United States has waves of mid-19th century Camassia cusickii and quamash blanketing swaths of its landscape. Long-lasting heirlooms usually only ask for well-draining, neutral pH soil with the composition of sandy loam and a minimum of six hours of sunlight each day. Most would be grateful for a light top dressing of an organic 4-10-6 fertilizer three times a year, to help nourish them for the long run, although it is not always necessary. They only want to be allowed to flower and die back naturally so that they may be fed by as much photosynthesis, and chlorophyll, as possible.

As much as we'd like all varieties of flower bulbs to be available forever, it is not always possible. As they age, some varieties may become susceptible to disease, pests or fungal infections. In both the Netherlands and the United States, horticultural restrictions on the use of chemical and organic fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides tighten every year, as they should, to protect our water, air and earth.

Please rest assured that we never substitute name varieties. Our bulbs, our heirlooms, are the real deal. Here are the incredibly vital, healthy heirloom varieties that we are carrying for your consideration. If you are looking for an heirloom bulb that we do not carry, we are happy to refer you to Scott Kunst's Old House Gardens.

If you need any help making a selection based on what would work best in your horticultural zone or planting site, call us. We would be happy to help you.

Item
Tulip Varieties
Year
5433
Kaufmanniana Tulip Kaufmanniana-Type
1877
5081
Species Tulipa biflora
1776
5165
Species Tulipa clusiana var. chrysantha
1928
5202
Species Tulipa dasystemon (T. tarda)
1877
5421
Species Tulipa humilis violacea
1860
5446
Species Tulipa kolpakowskiana
1877
5461
Species Tulipa linifolia
1884
5653
Species Tulipa praestans fuselier
1939
5745
Species Tulipa saxatilis
1825
5824
Species Tulipa turkestanica
1875
5175
Single Early Tulip Coleur Cardinal
1845
5439
Single Early Tulip Keizerskroon
1750
5665
Single Early Tulip Princess Irene
1949
5241
Triumph Tulip Dreaming Maid
1934
5052
Lily Flowering Tulip Ballade
1953
5846
Lily Flowering Tulip Westpoint
1943
5879
Lily Flowering Tulip White Triumphator
1972
5092
Parrot Tulip Black Parrot
1937
5290
Parrot Tulip Estella Rijnveld
1954
5549
Peony Flowering Tulip Mount Tacoma
1924
5038
Green Tulip Artist
1947
5319
Green Tulip Formosa
1926
5098
Single Late Tulip Bleu Aimable
1910
5197
Single Late Tulip Cum Laude
1944
5444
Single Late Tulip Kingsblood
1952
5554
Single Late Tulip Mrs. John T. Scheepers
1930



Item
Narcissus Varieties
Year
8278
Trumpet Daffodil King Alfred (type) Jumbo
1899
8289
Trumpet Daffodil King Alfred (type) DN II
1899
8340
Trumpet Daffodil Mount Hood
1930
8417
Trumpet Daffodil Rijnveld's Early Sensation
1943
8492
Trumpet Daffodil Spellbinder
1940
8300
Miniature Trumpet Daffodil Little Gem
1938
8023
Large Cupped Narcissus April Queen
1936
8136
Large Cupped Narcissus Flower Record
1942
8150
Large Cupped Narcissus Fortune
1917
8408
Large Cupped Narcissus Professor Einstein
1940
8582
Large Cupped Narcissus Weena
1948
8038
Small Cupped Narcissus Barrett Browning
1945
8112
Small Cupped Narcissus Dreamlight
1934
8118
Small Cupped Narcissus Edna Earl
1950
8011
Double Narcissus albus plenus odoratus
1861
8049
Double Narcissus Bridal Crown
1945
8067
Double Narcissus Cheerfulness
1923
8583
Double Narcissus White Lion
1940
8594
Double Narcissus Yellow Cheerfulness
1937
8027
Tazetta Narcissus Avalanche
1906
8078
Tazetta Narcissus Cragford
1930
8822
Tazetta Narcissus Geranium (VE landscape)
1929
8469
Tazetta Narcissus Silver Chimes
1914
8192
Triandrus Narcissus Hawera
1928
8549
Triandrus Narcissus Thalia
1916
8125
Cyclamineus Narcissus February Gold
1923
8220
Cyclamineus Narcissus Jack Snipe
1951
8362
Cyclamineus Narcissus Peeping Tom
1947
8538
Cyclamineus Narcissus Tete a Tete
1947
8007
Poeticus Narcissus Actaea
1919
8129
Poeticus Narcissus Felindre
1939
8391
Poeticus Pheasant's Eye
1850
8056
Species Mini Narc canaliculatus
1915
8251
Species Mini Narc jonquilla simplex
1750
8344
Species Mini Narc obvallaris
1796



Item
Special Miscellaneous Varieties
Year
1100
Allium aflatunense
1902
1112
Allium albopilosum
1901
1123
Allium atropurpureum
1800
1134
Allium azureum
1830
1145
Allium bulgaricum/Nectaroscordum siculum ssp
1873
1148
Allium carinatum s pulchellum
1810
1149
Allium cernuum
1898
1156
Allium cowanii
1823
1158
Allium flavum
1759
1178
Allium karativiense
1876
1190
Allium multibulbosum
1910
1213
Allium ostrowskianum
1873
1257
Allium rosenbachianum
1894
1262
Allium schubertii
1896
1280
Allium sphaerocephalon
1766
1291
Allium triquetrum
1789
1303
Allium unifolium
1873
2105
Anemone blanda Blue Shades
1898
2116
Anemone blanda Pink Star
1898
2138
Anemone blanda White Splendour
1898
2149
Anemone blanda Mixture
1898
3005
Brodiaea coccinea
1870
3011
Brodiaea ixioides Starlight
1831
3027
Calochortus superbus
1890
3031
Calochortus venustus
1850
3049
Camassia cusickii
1888
3068
Camassia quamash
1837
3068
Camassia quamash Orion
1913
3071
Chionodoxa forbesii
1880
3074
Chionodoxa gigantea
1878
3080
Chionodoxa gigantea alba
1885
3089
Chionodoxa sardensis
1883
3096
Corydalis solida
1930
3110
Crocus flavus Yellow Mammoth
1665
3167
Crocus tommasinianus
1847
3172
Crocus tommasinianus roseus
1925
3113
Crocus vernus Grand Maitre
1924
3114
Crocus vernus Jeanne d'Arc
1943
3118
Crocus vernus King of Striped
1880
3123
Crocus vernus Twilight (Negro Boy)
1910
3209
Eranthis hyemalis
1570
3210
Eremurus bungei
1834
3216
Eremurus robustus
1874
3400
Fritillaria acmopetala
1874
3402
Fritillaria assyriaca
1874
3413
Fritillaria imperialis lutea maxima
1590
3424
Fritillaria imperialis rubra maxima
1590
3435
Fritillaria meleagris
1575
3446
Fritillaria meleagris alba
1575
3457
Fritillaria michailowkyi
1905
3471
Fritillaria pallidiflora
1857
3479
Fritillaria persica
1585
3500
Galanthus elwesii
1875
3506
Galanthus ikariae
1893
3510
Galanthus nivalis Flore Pleno
1731
3514
Geranium tuberosum
1596
3520
Gladiolus communis ssp byzantinus
1629
4411
Hyacinth Blue Jacket
1953
4491
Hyacinth City of Haarlem
1893
4525
Hyacinth Delft Blue
1944
4548
Hyacinth Gypsy Queen
1927
4567
Hyacinth Jan Bos
1910
4736
Hyacinth Pink Pearl
1922
4811
Hyacinth White Pearl
1954
4829
Hyacinth Woodstock
1922
3922
Hyacinthoides hispanica Dainty Maid
1944
3929
Hyacinthoides hispanica Excelsior
1601
3941
Hyacinthoides hispanica White City
1601
3952
Hyacinthoides hispanica Mixture
1601
3954
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
1580
3540
Ipheion uniflorum
1836
3656
Iris danfordiae
1876
3660
Iris reticulata Cantab
1914
3682
Iris tuberosa (Hermodactylus tuberosa)
1597
3691
Ixiolirion tataricum ssp pallassi
1821
3652
Juno Iris aucheri
1890
3654
Juno Iris bucharica
1901
3695
Leucojum aestivum
1594
3699
Leucojum aestivum Gravetye Giant
1920
3706
Muscari ambrosiacum
1554
3717
Muscari armeniacum
1878
3727
Muscari aucheri Blue Magic
1871
3735
Muscari botryoides album
1896
3739
Muscari comosum
1596
3740
Muscari comosum plumosum
1612
3743
Muscari latifolium
1886
3752
Muscari paradoxum
1884
3765
Ornithogalum balansae
1884
3767
Ornithogalum magnum
1935
3768
Ornithogalum nutans Silver Bells
1629
3776
Ornithogalum umbellatum
1594
3782
Oxalis adenophylla
1905
3796
Puschkinia scilliodes var libanotica
1808
3798
Puschkinia scilliodes var libanotica alba
1808
3918
Scilla bifolia rosea
1601
3956
Scilla peruviana
1700
3957
Scilla pratensis
1827
3963
Scilla siberica alba
1880
3974
Scilla siberica Spring Beauty
1796
3985
Scilla tubergeniana
1931



Item
Lily Varieties
Year
7217
Chinese Trumpet Lily Golden Splendour
1957
7229
Chinese Trumpet Lily regale
1905
7639
Heirloom Species Lily Black Beauty
1957
7649
Heirloom Species Lily leichtlinii
1867
7663
Heirloom Species Lily tigrinum splendens
1804



Item
Bare-root Herbaceous Peony Varieties
Year
8915
Double Peony Bunker Hill
1906
8934
Double Peony festiva maxima
1851
8936
Semi-Double Peony Gay Paree
1933
8938
Double Peony Moonstone
1943
8946
Double Peony Red Charm
1944
8947
Double Peony Renato
1949
NOTE: We never substitute name varieties or change the name of a variety with the exception of three varieties in our collection. We have renamed Crocus vernus Negro Boy as Crocus vernus Twilight. In memory of Hil van Eeden, long-time family friend and colleague, we call Giant Darwin Hybrid Tulip Ivory Floradale as Cream Jewel. Trumpet Daffodil King Alfred has not been grown for decades. We select the best, strongest, most healthy, bright yellow trumpet daffodil with similar form, bloom time and growing characteristics in its stead. This year, as in past years, we are carrying Trumpet Daffodil Dutch Master (pre-1938) as our King Alfred-type.

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