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Bulbs

Tulipa greigii (14)

Greig's tulip

A perennial bulb with grey-green, broadly lance-shaped leaves streaked and mottled with dark red or purple. Flowers on this species tulip may be red or yellow, with black markings on a yellow base, and held on downy, pink or brown tinted stems. Flowers in early spring, and stands to about 50cm high

Other common names

Turkestan tulip

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Liliaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: Harmful if eaten, skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Harmful if eaten, skin allergen - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Tulipa are bulbous perennials with characteristic flowers, in a wide range of colours, in spring
Name status: Correct
Horticultural Group: Greigii Group tulips have large, single, bowl-shaped flowers in the range yellow to red, often with contrasting margins, and flower in early and mid-spring; the grey-green leaves are usually mottled with purple or maroon
Plant range: C Asia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Protect from strong winds and excess winter wet. Species tulips may be left in the ground for several years, they do not need to be lifted annually. See tulip cultivation for more details

Propagation

Propagate by division, separating offsets in summer. See bulb propagation for more details

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Cut flowers
Flower borders and beds
Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Wall side borders

Pruning

Deadhead after flowering and remove fallen petals

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs, aphids and stem and bulb eelworm; squirrels may eat the bulbs

Diseases

May be susceptible to tulip fire and bulb rot in poorly drained soil

Get involved

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