Greigii Tulip Flowers – Growing Greigii Tulips In The Garden

Greigii tulip bulbs come from a species native to Turkestan. They are beautiful plants for containers since their stems are quite short and their blooms enormous. Greigii tulip varieties offer blooms in vivid shades, like bright reds and yellows. If you are interested in growing Greigii tulips, read on for additional information.

About Greigii Tulip Flowers

Greigii tulips are a joy to have in a sunny garden. With blooms very large in proportion to the size of the plant, they work well in rock gardens and borders as well as potted arrangements. In full sun, the blooms open wide into cup-shaped flowers. When they are open, they can be more than 5 inches (13 cm.) across. As the sun passes, the petals fold up again for evening. The petals of Greigii tulip flowers are often pointed. They can be shades of white, pink, peach, yellow, or red. You can also find flowers that are colored in two tones or streaked. The stems are not very long for tulips, averaging only 10 inches (25 cm.) tall. Each of the Greigii tulip bulbs will produce one stem topped by one flower. The foliage can also be striking, with purple stripes or markings on the leaves.

Greigii Tulip Varieties

Greigii tulip bulbs were introduced into Europe from Turkistan in 1872. Since that time, many different Greigii tulip varieties have been developed. The majority of the Greigii varieties produce flowers in reds and oranges, for example, “Fire of Love” is bright red with interesting striping in the leaves. Both ‘Calypso’ and ‘Cape Code’ flame in shades of orange. A few come in unusual colors such as ‘Fur Elise,’ which is an elegant tulip with petals in soft shades of amber and the palest yellow. ‘Pinocchio’ is a Greigii tulip variety with ivory petals licked by red flames.

Growing Greigii Tulips

If you are ready to start growing Greigii tulips in your garden, keep your hardiness zone in mind. Greigii tulip bulbs do best in cooler areas, like USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 7. Be sure to select a site with good sun and well-draining soil. The soil should be fertile and moist. Plant the bulbs 5 inches (13 cm.) beneath the soil surface in autumn. When the Greigii tulip bulbs have finished flowering, you can dig out the bulbs and let them mature in a place that is warm and dry. Replant them in autumn.