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A Compilation of Classic Bulbs
by Tovah Martin and Scott Kunst
Crocus
Native from Spain to Afghanistan, Crocus vernus was introduced into Europe by Clusius at the end of the 15th century. By the 1600s, the early herbalists Gerard, Besler, and Parkinson documented white, purple, and striped forms of the plant that we've come to know as "Dutch crocus." By the Victorian era, Crocus vernus had reached such a zenith of popularity that entire carpet-beds were devoted solely to the flowers in spring. Meanwhile, gardeners forced them indoors for winter entertainment. Crocus vernus 'Purpureus Grandiflora', introduced in 1870 and boasting rich purple blossoms, is the oldest purple Dutch crocus still available commercially. In the early 1900s species crocus gained a following with the popularization of the golden yellow Crocus angustifolius 'Cloth of Gold'. It was followed by several species such as Crocus chrysanthus 'Snowbunting' (1914) and C. chrysanthus 'Zwanenburg Bronze' (1931). Species crocus are smaller and more discreet than their Dutch counterparts, but they blossom several weeks earlier in the spring. For that virtue, they've earned the nickname "snow crocus."
'King of the Striped', a Dutch crocus, has been traced back to 1880.
Photo: Scott Kunst
Fritillaria
Crown imperials are native to southern Turkey, and first appeared in cultivation in Vienna in 1576. From Vienna they traveled to Holland and then, rather rapidly, to Britain, where the herbalist John Gerard already had "great plenty" by 1597. Held atop three-foot spikes, the flowers are big, brightly colored, and tulip-shaped, and nod downward. They're quite a sight. Early crown imperials, Fritillaria imperialis, were orange. However, a bright yellow version, 'Lutea', was introduced in 1665. According to Scott Kunst, 'Lutea' was considered a rarity in America in 1739.
Galanthus
Some historians claim that snowdrops are native to Britain; others feel that Galanthus nivalis arrived from Italy in the 15th century. Nicknamed because they blossom very early in the spring, when their grass-like leaves jut up above the melting snow, snowdrops have small, pure white, nodding blossoms with green markings. The fragrance is delightful. St. Francis is said to have embraced snowdrops as an emblem of hope; the early herbalist Gerard thought they were related to violets. At present, several variations of the species are readily available.
Hyacinthus
Native to Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon, Hyacinthus orientalis was worn as a headdress by bridesmaids in Greek weddings and was mentioned in Homer's Iliad. However, the sturdy plants with thick spikes of inflated flowers didn't arrive in Europe until 1560. Although the Elizabethans found the intense aroma "melancholic," double white, blue, and pink varieties were available by 1613. Apparently, their esteem increased quickly so that by 1730, 2,000 hyacinths were in cultivation. When the Victorians began forcing bulbs in the mid-1800s, hyacinth popularity soared propitiously. The bulbs were also employed in 19th-century carpet-bedding patterns. In fact, according to Scott Kunst, the D. M. Ferry catalog of 1886 listed more hyacinths than tulips or daffodils.
Muscari
The grape hyacinth that we now call Muscari botryoides was originally grown as Hyacinthus botryoides and was in cultivation by 1576, originally collected from Spain. It is named for the grape-like clusters of deep purple flowers. The ancient herbalists, however, seemed dispassionate about the color. In fact, Parkinson seemed to prefer the white 'Album' form.
Narcissus
Several members of the narcissus family figured strongly in history, the first being Narcissus tazetta, grown by the ancient Greeks. Valued for its multi-headed bunches of small yellow and orange, fragrant blossoms, it is not reliably hardy but later became popular for forcing. By the 1880s, N. tazetta var. orientalis, also known as the Chinese sacred lily or Lien Chu lily, won the hearts of bulb-forcing Victorians. As for narcissi used outdoors, N. poeticus, the pheasant's eye narcissus, was mentioned by Theophrastus in 320 B.C.; however, the original form does not seem to have survived. The most commonly sold N. poeticus hybrid, often billed as "Old Pheasant's Eye," is actually a fairly recent hybrid known as 'Actaea', dating only to 1927, according to Scott Kunst. Daffodils were grown in English gardens as early as the 1500s, but they didn't enjoy great popularity until the 1860s, when the first hybrids became available. The famous, bright yellow 'King Alfred' first appeared in 1899. The cultivar now available by that name is actually a beefed-up version of the original.
Tulips
Tulips were cultivated and coveted in the Middle East in the 12th and 13th centuries, but they weren't grown commercially in Europe until the mid-1500s. By the time the herbalist John Gerard wrote about the bulbs in 1597, seven types were available, including a red, a yellow, and a streaked variety. A virus spread by aphids caused the famous striped, streaked, and feathered "Rembrandt" tulips and also instigated the famous Dutch "Tulipomania" craze. Not only gardeners were bemused by the exotic coloration of the tulips; businessmen as well invested heavily in tulip speculation, and the bulbs became a hot trading commodity for reasons totally non-horticultural. Eventually, the tulip market collapsed and the virus weakened the strain so that few Rembrandts survive today. Scott Kunst has managed to make available 'Lac Van Rijn' (1620), with red pointed petals and white edging, and 'Zomerschoon' (also 1620), with ivory petals flamed in red—both preserved by the Dutch national bulb museum. Frilly-petalled parrot tulips date to the 1600s. The earliest still available is 'Fantasy' (1910), with pink petals and apple-green markings. Darwin tulips, which were developed from antique Flemish varieties, became popular in the early 20th century.
Tovah Martin's interest in heirlooms began with indoor plants at Logee's Greenhouses in Danielson, Connecticut, where she spent more than 20 years caring for the vintage begonia collection. She is the garden editor of Victoria magazine and the Litchfield County Times. Her writing has appeared frequently in the Sunday New York Times, and she is the author of several gardening books, including Tasha Tudor's Garden (Houghton Mifflin Co., 1994). She is the guest editor of two previous BBG handbooks, Greenhouses and Garden Rooms (1989) and A New Look at Houseplants(1995).
Scott Kunst is the owner of Old House Gardens, the country's only mail-order source devoted to heirloom bulbs. A landscape historian and preservationist, he has taught landscape history at Eastern Michigan University and has been helping historic-house museums and homeowners restore their grounds for over 15 years. Scott, his wife, and their two sons live in a 1889 Queen Anne house in Ann Arbor, Michigan.