Tulip
Family of plants: Liliaceae
Native to: Central Asia and Turkey
Light requirements: full sun to partial shade
Skill level: Beginner
Cut Flower: YES
Dried Flower: NO
Fragrant: YES
HARDINESS: perennial (bulbs)
Height: up to 50 cm (up to 2 ft.)
Time to plant bulbs: autumn Propagation: bulb
Flowering period: early to latespring
Although tulips today are instinctively associated with the Netherlands, as they are their best know crop, as symbolic for the country as windmills and wooden clogs, they are actually native to Central Asia.
They were first brought to Holland in the16th Century, and quickly became a favorite, cultivated in great numbers, exported all around the world. During the 17th century “Tulip-mania” some tulip bulbs cost as much as a house or the annual wage of a skilled worker. Ultimately these inflated prices as well as over-supply, led to the crash of the bulb trading market and the loss of family fortunes.
Tulips were a big part of Turkish history as well. In the 18th Century large tulip gardens were planted and tulip designs became a part of arts and textile creation (clothing, carpets). The botanical name of the flower, Tulipa, is derived from the Turkish word “turban”, which it also resembles.
Tulips are planted in the fall, as they need vernalization, namely, they need the chilly winter temperatures in order to bloom. If one lives in a warmer climate where winter temperatures are not low enough, for the flower to bloom, bulbs can be “tricked” by being cooled down in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 weeks. You can also buy pre-chilled bulbs, to solve this problem.
Tulips come in early (Purissima, Willem van Oranje), mid (Triumph, Darwin) and late (Queen of Night, Rembrandt mix, Carnaval de Nice, Angelique, Mount Tacoma, Yellow Pomponette, Yellow Tacoma, Golden Nizza) blooming varieties, in over 150 species and over 3,000 hybrid varieties. They also still grow in the wild, with many of them being considered protected plants. Although wild tulips are less showy, they are much more resilient as well as vividly colored. They usually flower anywhere from 5 days to two weeks, depending on the weather conditions.
For a long vase life it is best to pick blooms with tight petals, place them in lukewarm water and trim them every couple of days on a diagonal. If the water becomes cloudy, switch it out. Make sure that you keep rotating the vase, as tulips will lean toward the light.
