Tulip viruses

Symptoms - There are a few tulip viruses. One causes streaking in the flowers of pink, purple and red flowered tulips. White and yellow tulips seem not to be affected. It is particularly seen in late-flowering tulips. Mottling or striping of the leaves also occurs. Other symptoms include loss of vigour and poor flower production.

Another virus affects late-flowering cultivars, causing grey-brown sunken spots or rings on the bulb scales. These bulbs produce deformed plants with leaf lesions and damaged flowers.

A third virus usually affects early flowering cultivars, resulting in brown streaks on the leaves and stems.