Tulipa clusiana

Species tulips often have more natural-looking blooms than their hybrid relatives. Tulipa clusiana originates from a region stretching from Iran to the Himalayas. It produces white flowers with attractive dark pink stripes on its outer petals and purple basal markings, from early- to mid-spring.

The blooms are set off against grey-green leaves that occasionally have wavy margins. Tulipa clusiana looks stunning grown in wild, natural areas of the garden, where they should be planted in informal sweeps.