Tulista marginata is the second largest plant of the four Tulista species (after T. pumila). About 35 leaves are grown per rosette.

Mostly straight and stiff, the inner leaves are erect, sometimes slightly incurving, while the old ones outside may recurve a little. The smooth leaf surfaces are mostly without tubercles, the margins and leaf keels hard and whitish. Leaf colour is usually pale grey-green, sometimes darker. The narrowly triangular leaves become about 8 cm long, 4 cm wide at the base and 1,2 cm thick.

The species is extremely variable and highly prized as an ornamental (Scott, 1985; Wikipedia).