20 Fun and Amazing Facts That Make Tulips Unlike Any Other Flower

Among all flowers, tulips are some of the most iconic. These blooms are a staple across the globe, and many countries grow them en masse each year. Let’s dive into 20 fun and amazing facts about tulips that even the most passionate flower lovers may not know about.

1. Different Tulip Colors Have Different Meanings

The significance of a tulip changes based on its color. For example, pink tulips are thought to represent innocence and joy, yellow tulips are said to represent happiness and inner peace, and many people give red tulips as a romantic gesture.

2. The Netherlands Is the World’s Most Prolific Tulip Producer

Across the globe, no one can grow tulips quite like the Netherlands. This country exports over three billion tulip bulbs annually.

3. The Tulip Is the National Flower of the Netherlands

In addition to being the world’s largest tulip producer, people within the Netherlands are also passionate about this flower themselves. In fact, this country hosts an annual Tulip Festival each year in spring.

4. Certain Parts of Tulips Are Edible

Believe it or not, certain parts of these flowers are edible, such as the petals. However, stay away from the bulbs as preparing them improperly can have negative side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

5. Tulips Are Medicinal

Believe it or not, tulips are also medicinally helpful. According to Forest Farm Peace Garden, “Tulip flowers have been used as a poultice for insect bites, bee stings and have provided relief from scratches, itches and skin irritations, although some report an allergic reaction to it. Tulip sap also has diuretic and antiseptic properties and has been used to treat coughs and colds.”

6. Tulips Symbolize Rebirth

While many people believe that tulips are symbolic of romantic love, others feel that these flowers are representative of new beginnings, transition into a new phase of life, and rebirth.

7. Tulips Help Boost Mental Health

The Yellow Tulip Project is an organization that’s on a mission to destigmatize mental health and help prevent suicide.

8. Tulips Have a Short Bloom Time

Although these flowers are beautiful, they are ephemeral. Tulips typically only bloom for about two weeks at maximum.

9. Tulips Were Once Incredibly Expensive

In the modern day, these flowers are very affordable and nearly anyone who wants to plant them is able to do so. However, in the 1600s, a single tulip bulb could cost as much as ten times someone’s yearly salary.

10. Tulips Grow Towards the Light

If you place a vase of tulips next to a window, you may notice that the flowers on the opposite side of the light will begin to wilt.

11. Tulips Are a Member of the Lily Family

Tulips belong to the family Liliaceae, which also includes a variety of lilies such as the trout lily, yellow star-of-Bethlehem, and mission bells.

12. The Best Time to Plant Tulip Bulbs Is During the Colder Months

Although many gardeners may think early spring is the best time for planting, tulip bulbs need to be chilled for roughly six to 12 weeks. Because of this, planting in late fall or early winter is preferable.

13. Tulips Have Many Companion Plants

Although opinions differ from gardener to gardener, it is generally accepted that lilies, coneflowers, and brunnera are perfect companion plants for tulips.

14. Tulips Are Easy to Care For

Compared to other flowers, tulips are relatively low maintenance and don’t require much effort to maintain. Plant them in a sunny area and water them every so often and they’ll bloom beautifully.

15. Tulips Are Symbolic of the Parkinson’s Community

According to Parkinson’s Western Australia, this association was created because “a Dutch horticulturist JWS Van der Wereld, who had Parkinson’s, developed a red and white variant of the tulip. He named this the Dr. James Parkinson’s tulip in honor of the English General Practitioner who first wrote about the condition in his 1817 publication, ‘The Essay of The Shaking Palsy’.”

16. Tulips Are Native to Central Asia

Although countries in Europe can’t get enough of these colorful flowers, they actually originated in ancient Kazakhstan.

17. There Are Roughly 3000 Different Tulip Varieties

Luckily, because there are so many different types of these flowers, even the pickiest gardeners are sure to find the perfect tulip for them.

18. Angelique Tulips Are the Most Popular of All

Although there are many different tulips in the world, one stands out among the rest. Angelique tulips are hands down the most popular, in fact, some people call them “America’s favorite tulip.”

19. Even if You Cut Tulip Stems, They’ll Still Continue to Grow

While most flowers will stop growing after their stems are cut, tulips can grow up to 6 more inches in length if left in a vase of water.

20. Tulips Are Symmetrical

Tulips have a very symmetrical design. It’s not quite perfect, but it’s really as close as you can get when it comes to flowers!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © dreakrawi/Shutterstock.com