Greigii Tulips are compact and colorful, reaching about a foot in height with cup-shaped blooms appearing early in spring on plants that carry up to three flowering stems. The flowers can run from scarlet and orange to yellow and cream depending on the cultivar, but it is the foliage that first draws the eye: the broad leaves are marked with bold streaks of purple or maroon, an ornamental asset that begins working weeks before bloom and continues well after. The effect is lively and contemporary, suitable for containers and border edges as well as mass plantings.

Native to Central Asia, these tulips are best planted in fall in zones 4 to 7 in fertile, well-drained soil with good sun exposure. As with the broader genus, summer heat above 70 degrees Fahrenheit causes decline, so in warmer gardens they are treated as annuals. The variegation pattern in the leaves, like that seen in other tulip groups, is caused by a viral infection and is subject to variation. Bulbs should be spaced to allow good air circulation, and gardeners in areas with active squirrel or vole populations will want to take precautions.