Cultivar derived from Tulipa kaufmanniana, a bulbous perennial of the Liliaceae family. The type species is native to Central Asia, mainly from the western Tian Shan and the mountains of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where it grows on rocky slopes and well-drained screes between approximately 1,000 and 2,500 meters.

Compact and stocky habit, reaching 15 to 20 cm in height. The leaves are broad, ovate-lanceolate, medium to dark green, without marbling, spread out in a low rosette characteristic of the kaufmanniana group. They accompany the flower very prominently from the moment it opens.

The flower opens very widely into a star with six pointed, widely spaced tepals, a bright and uniform scarlet-red, without contrasting external markings. The center reveals a bright yellow-orange blotch, with stamens having strong yellow-orange filaments and anthers. When the flower is fully open in the sun, the tepals spread almost flat, giving a characteristic water lily shape that is the recognizable signature of all tulips in the kaufmanniana group.

In its natural habitat, the type species blooms from March to April. In cultivation, 'Scarlet Baby' blooms in March, among the earliest tulips of the season.

It requires well-drained soil, full sun, and respected summer drought. Suitable for rock gardens, containers, and pot culture, where the star-shaped form of the open flowers can be fully observed.