Tulip

What does Tulip look like?

Tulips are herbaceous perennials that grow from bulbs, with each bulb producing a stem bearing two to six bluish-green, strap-shaped leaves. The flowers are usually large, cup- or star-shaped, and come in a wide range of bright colours—red, yellow, pink, orange, white, purple, and maroon. Some have a contrasting blotch at the base of the petals. Most tulips have a single flower per stem, but some species can have up to four. While most have no scent, a few species and cultivars are fragrant.

Where does Tulip come from?

Tulips are native to a broad region stretching from southern Europe across the Near East and Central Asia, especially in mountainous and steppe areas with temperate climates. They were first cultivated by Persian and Turkish people as early as the 10th century, becoming highly prized in the Ottoman Empire. The name 'tulip' likely comes from a Turkish or Persian word for 'turban', referring to the flower's shape. Tulips reached Western Europe in the 16th century, quickly becoming popular and leading to the famous Dutch tulip mania of the 17th century.

When and how Tulip blooms

Tulips bloom in spring, emerging from bulbs planted in the ground. After flowering, the plant dies back and the bulb remains dormant through summer. In the wild, they grow in meadows and steppes with cool, wet springs and dry summers. In gardens, tulips are grown from bulbs, which are planted in autumn. Breeding has produced thousands of cultivars with a wide range of colours and forms.

How Tulip is used

Tulips are grown worldwide as ornamental plants in gardens and parks, and are a major cut flower for gifts and decoration. The Netherlands is especially known for tulip cultivation and export. Tulips are also used as symbols and emblems, and feature in festivals and art. Some people may develop skin allergies from handling tulips, and they are toxic to pets such as cats, dogs, and horses.

Kinds of Tulip

There are about 75 species of tulip, divided into four subgenera. Thousands of hybrids and cultivars exist, bred for different colours, shapes, and flowering times. The 'Rembrandt' group recalls the streaked patterns caused by the tulip breaking virus, once highly prized. Black tulips have been a breeding goal, with 'Queen of the Night' and a true black tulip bred in 1986 being notable examples.

What Tulip means

Tulips are strongly associated with the Netherlands, where they became a symbol during the Dutch Golden Age and the tulip mania. They also hold cultural importance in Turkey and Iran, where they were first cultivated and used as symbols by the Ottoman Empire. Tulips appear in art, literature, and festivals, and are national or regional emblems in several countries. Some compounds in tulips can cause dermatitis, especially for people handling bulbs and cut flowers.

Where Tulip is used and seen

BouquetA creative arrangement of flowers, given or displayed for many occasionsIndira Gandhi Memorial Tulip GardenAsia’s largest tulip garden on the slopes above Dal Lake in SrinagarKeukenhofA vast Dutch flower garden famous for its spring tulip displaysFloristryThe craft and trade of arranging and selling flowersTulipiereA pottery vessel with spouts for growing tulip bulbs indoorsCut flowersFresh flowers and buds trimmed for decoration and displayFlower gardenA garden space planted and arranged for flowering plants and seasonal bloomsBedding (horticulture)Seasonal displays of flowering plants in beds, borders, and containers

Traditions that use it

Where to see Tulip

🇮🇳 Srinagar · Apr to OctThe Mughal gardens of SrinagarTerraced seventeenth-century gardens above Dal Lake, with water channels, chinar trees and flower beds. 🇮🇳 Srinagar · Mar to AprTulip garden of SrinagarA hillside of tulips above Dal Lake, open for only a few weeks each spring. 🇮🇳 New Delhi · Feb to MarAmrit Udyan at Rashtrapati BhavanThe formal gardens of India's presidential palace, opened to the public each year in late winter. 🇯🇵 Hitachinaka · Apr to OctNemophila hill at Hitachi Seaside ParkA hill by the Pacific covered in small sky-blue flowers in spring and red kochia bushes in autumn. 🇰🇷 Gapyeong · Jan to DecThe Garden of Morning CalmA hillside garden north-east of Seoul designed to show a Korean sense of beauty in plants. 🇸🇬 Singapore · All yearGardens by the BayA waterfront park of giant planted towers and two cooled glasshouses with changing flower shows.

Questions people ask about Tulip

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• Tasty tulipsThe Guardian, Article
• There Never Was a Real Tulip FeverSmithsonian Magazine, Article
• Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
• Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
• Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database

• Tulip on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data