A History of Tulips

The tulip is a staple crop here at the farm. It is one of my favorite flowers to grow and have in a vase on my counter. There are so many sizes, colors, and types that it never ending finding new tulips to grow. I also think it has something to do with how they bloom in spring, and that is such an exciting time!  I thought this week I would talk a little about the history of the tulip and what is symbolizes in today’s culture.

Origins:

Most people think “tulips, oh those are from the Netherlands!” Although tulips have a deep history in the Netherlands, they were actually first discovered in Central Asia. First discovered in the mountains, tulips were brought to present day Turkey and planted by the high society of the Ottoman Empire. The cities had elaborate gardens to show travelers and traders that passed through on the trade routes their wealth. The tulips came up every year and a celebration was thrown in their honor by the emperor himself.

Tulips were also given to important guests that came to the Empire. One important guest was given a tulip, and then later became a professor in the Netherlands. Thus, bringing the first tulip to the Netherlands in 1593. The bulbs were very limited as only a few were being grown in the area, making them extremely expensive.

A few decades later “Tulip Craze” started. Over the years demand had grown for tulips, and the demand outweighed the supply, driving the price up even more. At one point in time one single tulip bulb was the same price as a house in the Netherlands.

The Tulip Craze came to abrupt end, as many viral sensations do today. Present day, the Netherlands continues to be the leading supplier of tulip bulbs in the world. In 2014 the Netherlands exported more than 2 billion tulips worldwide.

Tulips in Today’s Culture:

Tulips are one of the most recognized flowers on the market. The meaning behind a tulip is “perfect love.” The color of the tulip also has different meanings. Purple tulips signify royalty and red tulips mean true love. Because tulips bloom in the spring they are also associated with new life, springtime, and new beginnings.

I hope you enjoy flower facts as much as I do! Lucky for you we don’t have to wait until spring for tulip blooms. You can shop our farm grown winter tulips right on our website for pick-up at one of the awesome local businesses we teamed up with this year.

If you read this whole post, I so appreciate it. Here is a code for 10% off your next order. Just use it at checkout: BB23

Thanks for following along!

Sources:

https://www.history.com/news/tulip-mania-financial-crash-holland