Sunday, 17 February 2013

Griegii Tulips

Greigii Tulips were developed from the Tulipa greigii species, which is native to Turkestan. Greigii Tulips are fairly short as tulips go, but the blooms are very large in proportion to the plant as a whole. They come in very bright colours, like red and yellow, and the flowers open wide in full sun, creating cup-shaped blooms that can be more than 5" (12 cm) in diameter when fully open. Because they are short, Greigii Tulips are ideal for rock gardens and containers. They have an added attraction in that the leaves are usually patterned with stripes or spots, in purple or brown. Finally, they naturalize very well (i.e. if you leave them alone, they come back year after year, and even multiply).

Flowering time:	early spring Greigii Tulips typically flower after Fosteriana Tulips, Kaufmanniana Tulips, and some of the Botanical Species Tulips, but before all other types of Tulips
Plant height:	6 - 16" (15 - 40 cm); average: 10" (25 cm0
Minimum planting depth:	6" (15 cm)
Hardiness zones:	suitable for zones 3 - 7
Colours:	white, pink, peach, yellow, red; blooms are often two-toned or streaked
Shape/form:	one six-petalled flower on a short, rigid stem; petals are usually pointed
Alternate names:	none
Notes:	good for rock gardens, containers, indoor forcing, and for the fronts of borders
Example varieties:	Cape Cod (yellow and red), Chopin (cream and crimson), Dreamboat (pink and yellow), Für Elise (cream), Oratorio (magenta pink), Pinocchio (red and white), Red Riding Hood (red with a black base), Sweet Lady (peach with bronze green base), Tsar Peter/Czar Peter (red and white), Turkish Delight (ivory and dark red-brown)