Tulipa linifolia (Batalinii Group) ‘Red Jewel’ (syn. Red Gem)

Tulipa linifolia (Batalinii Group) ‘Red Jewel’ (also sometimes sold as ‘Red Gem’) has vermilion blooms above narrow, grey twisted foliage in late spring when other botanical tulips have finished. The buds open wide on warm sunny days revealing black centres. The species, native to Iran, Uzbekistan & Turkestan, is named for a director of the Imperial Botanical Garden in St Petersberg. Botanical tulips are miniature to small in size and not far removed from their wild ancestors. They are strongly perennial and will naturalize when happy unlike the large Dutch hybrids which are often treated as annuals or which fail after a couple years.