C. Garden Tulip (Tulipa gesneriana)

Tulips are familiar Spring garden flowers. If found in the wild, they will be discarded escapees. Otherwise, they are often the centrepiece of garden border displays, especially in public gardens and parks, where their varied form and colour make them ideal as a Spring bedding plant. They flower in April and May and are perennials.

Most cultivars of the Garden Tulip are derived from a plant introduced into western Europe from Turkey in 1554. It was first described in 1559 by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner, hence the plant's Latin name.

In less than a century the great Tulip Mania swept across parts of western Europe, especially in Holland, when single plants were bought and sold for small fortunes. It is thought that tulip bulbs became infected with a mosaic virus, making the blooms grow with rare and spectacular effects. Although many of the resulting variants were impressive, the individual strains did not persist, which meant that highly-prized plants could not be bred/cultivated as had been hoped. This disappointment led to the loss of fortunes and, in many cases, bankruptcy.

In Heene Cemetery, there is a small row of these flowers by the entrance gate.