Humilis

It snowed last night.  Here, in the fresh snow, are my favorite tulips.  These species tulips are ancestors to the more common large hybrid tulips.  Their native climate in the high mountains of the Mediterranean is similar to my Rocky Mountain region.  This one is "Tulipa Humilis" which I picked for color - a jewel tone red with a contrasting yellow-orange in the 'eye'.  This little flower holds up well to its latin roots. Ha! Get it?  Seriously, they can handle so much - radical temp changes, little water, poor soil - and they maintain their delicateness, regardless.  They perform well in rocky beds, and my front yard is defined by rockiness, plus they naturalize well.  The cheeky little bloomer comes out earlier than other tulips and when it eventually goes dormant, it fades quietly, unlike the messy foliage of larger tulips when they whither. Even though the flowers are droopy here, they will pop back up proud when they get the next hammering of sun. Which could be tomorrow.  Who knows?  Anyway, I love them.