Tulip 'Velvet Truffle'

Tulip 'Velvet Truffle' is a richly layered double tulip with the delicious depth its name promises, unfolding in shades of burnt coral and warm copper, with flashes of golden apricot and green at the outer petals. A natural mutant of Tulip 'Chocolate Brown', it carries the same brooding sophistication, but with a more flamboyant, jewel-box finish. The large, peony-like blooms of Tulip 'Velvet Truffle' have ruffled petals that curl and overlap in a wonderfully painterly way, giving every flower a slightly different expression. Planted in groups, Tulip 'Velvet Truffle' brings a sense of theatre to spring borders, though thankfully without demanding a dressing room.

Give Tulip 'Velvet Truffle' a sunny, sheltered position and fertile, well-drained soil, and it will reward you with bold, opulent flowers in mid to late spring. Its sturdy stems make it excellent for cutting, while the complex colouring is superb with forget-me-nots, deep violas, pale wallflowers and smoky purple tulips. This is not a shy variety, but it has enough nuance to feel elegant rather than loud. In containers, Tulip 'Velvet Truffle' creates a sumptuous focal point near doors or seating areas, where the green-flushed outer petals can be admired up close. Warm, dramatic and beautifully unusual, Tulip 'Velvet Truffle' is spring indulgence with very good taste.