Description

Tulip Marilyn is one of the most striking lily-flowered tulips available, distinguished by its dramatic white petals vividly streaked with bold red flames. The blooms open with a refined elegance, their slender petals arching outward into a graceful, star-like form, creating a tulip that is both delicate in outline yet bold in colouring. As the flowers mature in late spring, the red flares intensify against the crisp white backdrop, producing a painterly effect that makes Marilyn a centrepiece in any planting scheme.

Flowering in May, Marilyn extends the tulip season into early summer and reaches around 45–55 cm tall, standing on strong, upright stems that withstand Irish winds and rainfall well. Thriving in sunny, free-draining beds enriched with organic matter, this tulip performs best in mixed borders, municipal beds, and large-scale drifts where its bold colour contrast can be fully appreciated. It is equally effective in more intimate settings, such as pots or raised planters, where its unique markings can be admired close-up.

In landscape design, Marilyn excels as a dramatic partner to darker tulips such as Queen of Night or Black Hero, where the rich purples highlight the fiery streaks of red. It also works well with pale narcissi like Thalia or soft-blue Muscari armeniacum, creating a layered and biodiverse planting. While Marilyn is not fragrant, its open lily-flowered shape makes its pollen accessible to bees on warmer days, giving it ecological as well as visual value. For best results, plant in groups of 10 or more bulbs in autumn to create bold, painterly sweeps of colour that enhance both formal gardens and modern urban landscapes.