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Greigii Tulips

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Greigii Tulips

Tulipa Greigii was discovered in Turkestan in 1877. Any tulip developed from or resembling this one species is a Greigii Tulip.

All are brightly colored, tough and a little top heavy, with disproportionately large flowers (up to 5" 12.5cm across) on short strong stems (about 8" to 14", 20-35cm). Wavy-edged leaves are usually striped or mottled, while pointed or hourglass flowers usually open out flat in sunshine. Petals are often two-tone or striped.

Flowering early from mid March to early April, they make good companions for hyacinths and small daffodils, especially in pots and rock gardens, although they also naturalize very well, or pair them with other early flowering tulips, such as Single Early Tulips, Fosteriana Tulips, Kaufmanniana Tulips, some Species Tulips/Botanical Tulips, Triumph Tulips and Double Tulips (early).

May Tulips and Flowers

Greigii Tulips are among the first to flower, and pretty much over by May, when the garden is given over to Single Late Tulips, Double Late Tulips, Parrot Tulips, Lily Tulips, Viridiflora Tulips, Darwin Tulips, some Fringed Tulips, daylilies and Aquilegias.

Tulip Red Riding Hood

Red Dward Tulip

This is a very popular low-growing bright red tulip with large flowers, which appear through April. Leaves are striped red. Height is about 12" (30cm).

Tulipa 'Red Riding Hood' was introduced in 1953, and the Royal Horticultural Society has awarded it its Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

From $0.31 a bulb Blooming Bulb (on sale)

Tulip Für Elise

Small Cream, Pink and Lemon Tulip

This is perhaps the prettiest of all Greigii Tulips. Its cream pointed petals are decorated with hues of peach, pink and lemon, and leaves are mottled with dark maroon.

Height is 14" (35cm).

Tulip Sweet Lady

Pink Dwarf Tulip

A pretty tulip with fragrant red-pink pointed flowers which fade at the base. Leaves are mottled maroon, and height is about 8" (20cm).

Buy for $0.38 a bulb at Blooming Bulb. (on sale)

Zampa Parrot

Dwarf Parrot Tulip

This slightly odd Tulip looks like a cross between a Pink Parrot Tulip and a Greigii Tulip. Over-sized, frilly, lemon and pink flowers sit on very short strong stems.

Tulip Pinocchio

Pink Greigii Tulip

Another popular Greigii Tulip, Pinocchio has red flowers with cream piping in April.

Height is 10" (25cm).

Tips for Growing Greigii Tulips

  • Greigii Tulips don't like to be disturbed; left along, they are among the longest living of all tulips
  • They like some sun in spring, so planting them beneath deciduous trees works well
  • Most varieties will naturalize very well in US zones 3-7 and in the UK

More Spring Bulbs for April

If you're looking for other spring bulbs which will flower alongside Greigii tulips, try Erythroniums, or Fawn Lilies, which will flower in March in warmer areas, and April elsewhere. At about the same height as Greigii Tulips, they have exquisite flowers, which look a bit like miniature lilies. Then add height with April flowering Allium bulbs, such as Allium aflatunense, Allium nigrum, Allium Pinball Wizard and Allium triquetrum.

Tulips

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Please leave a comment

  • BuckHawk Oct 5, 2010 @ 3:18 pm | delete
    Beautiful lens, as are all the flower lenses of yours I've visited so far. Have many to go, but looking forward to each one.
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I'm a journalist who loves gardening. I garden in the UK, but I've also had a go in California, Spain and France.
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