Tulipa greigii 'Mary Ann'

Tulipa greigii 'Mary Ann' is a dwarf variety, early, full of cheerfulness, whose colour changes during flowering. Its flower welcomes a beautiful range of red, pink, yellow and blush white tones, and its large leaves are beautifully marbled with purple-brown. It shows excellent performance in flower beds and allows for creating beautiful splashes of colour at the end of winter. It proves to be robust, reliable and faithful, and not demanding. One of the first smiles of spring!

Tulipa greigii 'Mary Ann' belongs to the Liliaceae family. The botanical species Tulipa greigii was the first to be cultivated from wild bulbs, which were brought back from Uzbekistan to Germany in 1871. It is actually native to Central Asia and northeastern Iran. This tulip has given birth to many cultivars, including the pretty 'Mary Ann', still cultivated since 1955. This small tulip will not exceed 25cm (10in) in height when in bloom. Its foliage is bluish green, wide, and marbled with brown spots. The multicoloured flowers appear in March, more or less early depending on the climate. They open widely like stars, revealing a creamy pink interior, an orange, brown and yellow throat, and golden stamens. They bloom in the sun and close when it hides. The foliage yellows and dries a few weeks after flowering, while the bulb goes into dormancy.

Greigii botanical tulips do not degenerate over time like large-flowered tulips. They naturalize and can remain in place for several years without special maintenance and thrive in borders and rockeries. To create colourful scenes, they can be associated with various small bulb plants: Crocus, Ipheion uniflorum, Anemone blanda, small-flowered Daffodils, Muscaris, Puschkinia, Cyclamen coum, Erythronium pagoda, Leucojum vernum, snowdrop, Scilla sibirica... These tulips are unrivaled for bringing the colour of spring to pots or sunny gardens.