The Tulip – The Most Beautiful Flower in the World

Considered one of the most beautiful flowers in the world the tulip has come a long way since first discovered in Persia around 1000AD. The name Tulip is said to be derived from the Persian word ‘Tuliban’ meaning turban, indeed the shape of the tulip is not dissimilar to a turban. The Persians cultivated the bulbs for centuries before Dutch explorers seeing the beauty of the flower decided to take some of the bulbs back to Holland, as the Netherlands was then called and the strong colorings and unique shape of the tulip created a sensation.

A History of the Tulip

The tulip is a flower that once caused a country to become obsessed with its beauty giving it a monetary value. The first tulips sprang from the mountains of central Asia and were regarded by many as wild flowers. The flowers grew in popularity and were cultivated for its unique hourglass shape and slightly scented bouquet.

Dutch explorers seeing the beautiful flowers brought them back to Holland and for a time between 1634 and 1637 the whole country was swept into a passion called tulipmania due to the tulip being considered a commercially valuable commodity. Rich families of Amsterdam caused a national panic that resulted from their wish to display their wealth by the amount of flowers that they had in their homes.

At the height of tulip mania it was reported that one tulip sold for the price of one of the grandest town houses in Amsterdam, a lot of money by any stretch of the imagination. Indeed in 1667 there was said to be an amount of approximately 40 million gilders of outstanding debt arising from the sale of tulips.

The flowers became very overvalued and there came a time when the whole thing came crashing down ruining whole communities, this led to the flower becoming a symbol of human frivolity.

Care of the Tulip

Tulips are classified as perennials, however they often need to be treated as annuals. Once the foliage has died the tulips then need to be lifted and stored in a cool dry place. Bulbs can be refrigerated for a short period of time just prior to their being replanted, this gives the bulb a true hibernation period. Tulips require a well drained soil, however sand and compost can be added to soils to further improve drainage. For a truly spectacular look plant the bulbs according to their colors, massing the colors together to give greater impact.

The Keukenhof Gardens

The Keukenhof is home to the world famous ‘Spring Tulip Festival’, arguably the most famous of all tulip festivals in the world with visitors to the gardens once again discovering the beauty of the tulip. The garden plays host to over half a million people every year with the visitors flocking to see the nearly 4 and a half million bulbs in full flower. The annual spring tulip festival means that the Dutch are again making a fortune from the flowers.

A Dutch Auction House

Approximately 6 thousand growers use the Dutch auction house at Aalsmeer to sell their flowers, indeed one out of every three flowers bought and sold in the world pass through this auction house.

The floor of the flower auction house covers an area bigger than 2 football fields and has over nineteen million plants changing hands within the auction rooms every day.

The clock begins ticking from the time the tulip is picked until the time it reaches its end buyer because it is said that ‘a flower that is fresh today will lose 15% of its value tomorrow’ so the race is on to sell as quickly as possible. Once the deal is struck the tulips are then rushed to Amsterdam Airport for distribution throughout the world, truly remarkable for a product that has absolutely no value other than ‘Desire’.