Plant of the Month: Tulip

Author: Sarah Pounders


Scientific Name: Tulipa species are included in the Lily family. The name is derived from the Persian word toliban, meaning turban. This connection arose because in the flower's native region people saw that the flowers resembled their turbans; they also wore tulip flowers in their headdresses.

History and Uses:
Most tulip species originated as wildflowers in central Asia. The tulip bulb is a modified underground stem that stores a lot of energy, an adaptation to the extremes of its environment. Tulips sprout and bloom in spring; store food in their bulbs; go dormant as the hot, dry summer sets in; and remain dormant through the harsh, dry winter. When spring rains arrive and temperatures warm, a tulip's stored food gives the stem, leaves, and blossoms all the energy they need to sprout to the surface, and the cycle begins anew.

Tulips were first cultivated in Turkey gardens around 1000 A.D. Tulips are poisonous, so they have always been grown for their beauty.

A highlight in tulip history is a period of exaggerated popularity in Holland known as Tulipmania. The first tulips were imported from Constantinople, Turkey to Holland in 1593 by botany professor Carolus Clusius. Because of their beauty and limited supply, the bulbs were a novelty prized by the rich.

The demand for tulips increased when varieties with swirled colors and frilly-edged petals began to appear. (Centuries later, scientists discovered that these spectacular oddities were the result of a mosaic virus transmitted by aphids.) In Holland, tulips were traded on local market exchanges. People bought tulips with the intention to resell them for a higher price, not for planting. In fact, most bulbs were sold by weight -- like gold or silver -- and never allowed to bloom! This frenzy of speculative trading drove up their value, and in 1634 the word "tulipmania" was coined. By that time, people from all economic classes were risking their life savings and all of their possessions in the hope that they could sell them for a higher price and make their fortunes. At the height of the craze, the value of one bulb (translated into modern day prices) was $76,000 (see Stock Market Crash! for more information).

Thanks to a combination of factors (restrictions created by the Dutch Government, an increase in supply of bulbs from the harvest of new crops, and rapid sales) the tulip market crashed in February 1637. Many people lost everything they owned and the economy was devastated. To provide relief, the supreme judges of Amsterdam declared tulip speculation a form of gambling, and would not enforce payments on tulip-trading contracts.

Though they aren't worth $76,000 apiece, the Dutch maintain their enthusiasm for bulb marketing, which brings $750 million to the Dutch economy annually. They dedicate more than 44,000 acres of land to commercial bulb production and harvest nine billion bulbs per year, a third of which are tulips. (Source)

Growing Information:

Tulips grow best in temperate regions with well-drained soil. They need a period of exposure to cold temperatures in order to bloom properly; the amount varies by variety. To ensure successful bloom, gardeners in warm regions may need to refrigerate bulbs for a period before planting.

More information on growing tulips:
Planting Bulbs

Bulbs 101

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