It may not heal the economy, but planting some ‘Prosperity’ in your garden this fall is bound to make you feel good. Early blooming and a “most delicate and lovely” rose-pink, it was the “finest of the new varieties” according to Pittsburgh’s Elliott Nursery in 1911. Be sure to plant a few where you can enjoy the intricate tracery of its rose-on-baby-pink coloring up close. Single Early, 10-12”, zones 4-7S/8WC, from the Hortus Bulborum. Last offered in 2011. We hope to offer it again soon. For an alert, sign up for our email newsletter.

Love for our deep dark ‘Greuze’ and ‘Philippe de Comines’ made us spurn ‘Queen of Night’ for years. But we couldn’t resist her beauty forever, and now we grow all three – to universal raves. Darkest of all, she’s maroon black and oh-so sophisticated. 24 inches. Pictured with ‘Philippe de Comines’, top, and ‘Greuze’, middle. Darwin/Single Late, zones 4-7S/8WC. Last offered in 2002. Widely available elsewhere.

We’re always on the lookout for something different, so when we saw this quirky old tulip in a March 2008 Garden Design article about the Hortus Bulborum, we immediately called our friends at the Hortus to reserve some. With narrow, twisted petals of red, green, and maroon, it has an asymmetric, modern-art kind of vibe, but the Hortus dates it to 1700 and tulips much like it have intrigued gardeners since the 1600s. 16-18”, zones 4-7a. Last offered in 2008. We may offer it again periodically, or we could special order it for you.

Prepare to be flabbergasted! This may well be the most exciting double tulip we’ve ever offered. Not only are its leaves edged with creamy white and an occasional hint of pink, but each bud starts as a fat little pompon of green and white that sprouts a tuft of red at the top and then gradually opens into a double flower of a unique peachy-red that’s almost neon in its brilliancy. A variegated sport of the most popular double red tulip of the past 200 years, ‘RRB’ is weird, wonderful, and sure to cause a commotion! Double Early, 14”, zones 5-7, from the Hortus Bulborum. Last offered web-only in 2009. We hope to offer it again soon. For an alert, sign up for our email newsletter.

Named for the brave knight-hero of one of the greatest troubadour-songs of the Middle Ages, ‘Roland’ is a majestic, antique-velvety red edged with ivory. What’s more, its extra vigor often gives it a few extra petals, making for single blooms that are exuberantly full – and unique! Triumph, 20”, zones 3-7, from Holland. Last offered in 2003. We lost our grower and haven’t found another who offers authentic stock.

This lovely rose and white tulip became one of Victorian America’s best-loved bulbs, with countless catalogs and books calling it “beautiful,” “delicate,” and “most desirable.” Plant it up front and prepare to be charmed. Single Early, 6-8”, zones 4b-7a, from the Hortus. Last offered web-only in 2008. We may offer it again periodically, or we could special order it for you.

No taller than a crocus and almost as early, this wild tulip is a cheery little flame of spring. When it bloomed in a display of our historic tulips on Park Avenue, it inspired Verlyn Klinkenborg of The New York Times to write a terrific editorial-page column about it. Parent of the whole ‘Duc van Tol’ clan, it’s a good stand-in for colonial ‘Duc van Tol Red and Yellow’ – and wonderful in its own right. 4-6”, zones 4-7, from Holland. Last offered in 2006. We may offer it again periodically, or we could special order it for you.

Although this looks like a very old broken tulip, it’s actually a virus-free, genetically streaked Rembrandt tulip introduced in 1960. And though we usually scorn modern Rembrandt tulips as crude – and we’ve never offered a tulip this young before – when we saw ‘Striped Sail’ in bloom at the Hortus Bulborum, its dramatic beauty won us over. ’Nuff said? Mid-season blooming Triumph, 14”, zones 4b-7bS/7bW, from the Hortus. Last offered web-only in 2008. We may offer it again periodically, or we could special order it for you.

This very rare, sweetly scented tulip is an intriguing, rusty color that catalogs over the years have struggled to describe: “nankeen-orange,” “terra-cotta shaded gold,” “orange shaded with buff,” even “light brown.” It was offered by New York’s Linnaean Botanic Garden nursery in 1830, and nearly a century later it was a “special favorite” of garden diva Louise Beebe Wilder. Its name honors the Renaissance statesman, author of Utopia, and saint beheaded for opposing Henry VIII. Last offered in 2006, Single Early, 12-14”, zones 4b-7aS/7bWC, from the Hortus Bulborum. Last offered in 2011. We hope to offer it again soon. For an alert, sign up for our email newsletter.

Named for the “Little Bear” constellation, this bright, early tulip is deep yellow with an impossibly thin, all but invisible outline of red, as if the edges were glowing from inner heat. Tulips are grown on more than 26,000 acres in the Netherlands, but this endangered gem accounts for little more than one thousandth of one percent of the total crop. Single Early, 12”, zones 4-7, from Holland. Last offered in 2002. We may offer it again periodically, or we could special order it for you.