Tulips first came to the UK in the 1630s when Europe was well and truly in the grip of ‘Tulipmania’. These beautiful and (at the time) exotic flowers were the ultimate status symbol to the European elite and their presence in your garden was considered the ultimate sign of opulence.
While the tulip has become much more humble and widely available, in recent years, it remains one of our favorite flowers. Here are 6 reasons why everyone just loves tulips.
1. They come in a vast range of colors and shades
Tulips have been grown in almost every colour and colour combination you can think of, from a candy-stripe of pink and white, to Tulips as dark as the night sky. Not only do they come in beautiful colors, but the different types of Tulips will blow your mind too. Frilled, Parrot and Double Tulips are life-changing and mind-altering.
2. They have a rich and fascinating history
It turns out that tulips have always been the people’s flower. Botanists in the Ottoman Empire adored them and cultivated wild varieties. Similarly, the Sultan enjoyed tulips in his turban and costume and to this day, tulips are Turkey’s national flower - the word ‘tulip’ meaning ‘turban’ in Turkish. In the 17th century, tulips migrated over to Europe. Europeans, and particularly the Dutch, cultivated many varieties you commonly see today. In fact, the Dutch were so enamoured with the flower, a phenomenon dubbed ‘tulip mania’ arose, whereby tulips prices skyrocketed and the tulip market soared and crashed in the world’s first economic bubble. Made popular in Nordic paintings and festivals, tulips have continued to feed the public imagination ever since.
3. Have you ever seen a fully open Frilled Tulip?
The way the petals curl and the frills reach under themselves to create the most beautiful expression; there’s no wonder why Tulips have been revered and featured in the art world so much! They’re pretty magical.
4. They’re totally edible
Not just edible but their petals and bulbs are surprisingly nutritious (if they haven’t been treated with fungicides and pesticides!). In fact, eating them helped the Dutch to overcome famine in a period. Although to be honest, it sounds like the bulbs really don’t taste that great!
5.They are the embodiment of spring
Because tulip bulbs flower this time of year, tulips are considered a welcome harbinger of spring. Indeed, the European tradition of tulip festivals migrated over to Australia in the 1970s, and many of us since have had wonderful nostalgic memories of visiting beautiful tulip festivals, such as Floriade, around this time of year. For a lot of Australians, tulips call to mind happy spring outings in the sunshine. Also, tulips produce very little pollen which makes them perfect for allergy sufferers in spring.
6. They can last a long time
Once a Tulip stem is cut it keeps growing which means when you think your Tulips are “dead” because they’re bending in the vase, they’re actually living their best lives and growing in the water, they’re reaching for the sun and the stars and everything else and expressing that reach through the bends in their stems. Once you buy your Tulips and pop them into fresh water, you’ll watch the green of the bud turn into a vibrant and strong color (whether that be pink, yellow, black, or purple). This means the Tulip is getting ready to open, once the bulb is completely saturated in color it will begin to bloom – the fun part – Tulips aren’t just bulbs of color, the petals peel open one by one and reveal a beautiful center of color. Once they’ve opened, your tulips will have at least a week of life left! You’ll watch the colors change and fade as the petals move and drop, it really is a beautiful art form to watch a Tulip through its lifespan.
