Last year I tried the Exotic Emperor, both in pots and in the flower bed. A fragrant, white or cream double tulip with yellowish green flames on the mottled outer petals. The buds have a colouring that moves towards a yellowy green but as soon as they bloom the colouring becomes white. It grows to approx. 45 cm tall and is supposed to be a variety that comes back several years. The Exotic Emperor is a variety of Purissima, i.e. a spontaneous/naturally mutated variety, and belongs to the fosteriana group (Emperor tulips).

Later this spring I will evaluate how the ones in the flower beds have done since last year. For several years I’ve had another variety of the fosteriana tulips (‘Sweetheart’) that has come back very nicely. It has simple flowers which most of the fosteriana tulips has.

Since the tulips of the fosteriana group are early bloomers and have a limited height they are perfect to grow in pots.