Tulipa fosteriana is a wild species found in the mountainous areas of Central Asia. Although no longer being cultivated, numerous beautiful cultivars developed from it are still marketed. They differ from one another in height, but all have solitary, bowl-shaped flowers, 5 in. wide (12 cm), with a slender shape and large, sometimes striped, leaves. Reds are strongly represented in this assortment. The most famous cultivar is 'Madame Lefeber', better known as 'Red Emperor'.

• Flowering in early to mid spring, these tulips will be among the first ones to bring color in your garden. As an added bonus, some of the Fosteriana tulips are fragrant.
• Growing up to 10-20 inches tall (25-50 cm), these tulips naturalize easily and come back year after year to our delight! They create dazzling harmonies with other early flowering bulbs.
• Perform best in full sun in rich, fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Prefer areas with cool winters and warm dry summers.
• Easy to grow, these tulips are welcomed additions to beds, borders, containers, rock gardens or for naturalizing in grass. For best visual impact, plant in groups (at least 10 to 15 bulbs) or mixed with any other flowering bulbs. Excellent as cut flowers!
• To be planted in fall.
• Eating may cause severe discomfort and may cause a skin allergy.

A symbol of spring, tulips are the most popular spring bulbs and most gardeners reserve them a spot in the garden or in containers. Grown for their attractive, vibrantly colored flowers, there are currently over 3,000 registered varieties, which are divided into fifteen groups, mostly based on the flower type, size and blooming period of the tulip.