Maggi, many Tulip species which are rare, endemic or even extinct in the wild or grow in inaccessable locations due to political unrest are readily available in cultivation. Think of T. sprengeri which has not been seen in the wild for over 100 years. It usually is merely a matter of obtaining a few bulbs or seeds once.
So I strongly suspect there is something regarding T. cypria culture which makes it hard to propagate or keep alive, at least in our climate. Surely being a non-hardy mediterranean low-land tulip plays a role, though it still eludes me why this spectacular species is completely absent from culture save for Oron's seeds. To my knowledge there's no other source. A friend of mine grew them from seeds but the bulbs remained very weak. I suspect it was too cold and dark in Winter in a frost-free greenhouse. Oron said germination requires temperatures below 17°C but not too cold.
Well, I'll give it a try. My actual plan was to delay dormancy so they germinate / emerge later in spring when it's warm enough to put them outside in a simple cold frame and let them spend the cold winter almost dry indoors at around 15°C.
Any ideas?
