The Tulip

The vibrant tulip flowers are one of the most popular spring flowers of all time. The tulip is a plant of the large genus Tulipa which belongs to family Liliaceae. Tulip plant has been cultivated for as much as 500 years. Tulips are the third most popular flowers world-wide after that only to the Rose and Chrysanthemum. These vibrant flowers are available in an unbelievable variety of colors, heights, and flower shapes. Some Tulips are even odorous

Tulips are a part of the lily family.The tulip is native to central Asia and eventually made its way to Turkey. But it was when the flower was first cultivated in the Netherlands that it really came to prominence.

The Dutch obsession with tulips began with Flemish botanist Carolus Clusius. When he was made director of Leiden University's new Hortus Botanicus (botanical garden) in 1593 he planted some of his own tulip bulbs. As a result, 1594 is considered the official date of tulips first blooming in Holland.

Carolus Clusius was also the first person to identify "broken tulips" which is a viral infection that caused beautiful streaks in the petals. Clusius would go on to create many new color variations of tulips.
Tulips st
arted to become highly prized in Holland in the 1600s as some of Clusius unique tulip variations at Leiden became much sought after. This led to a period from 1634 to 1637 known as "Tulip mania" when enthusiasm for the new flower started an economic frenzy and one of the world's first 'speculative bubbles'. The value of tulips shot up nearly overnight, they became the most expensive flower in the world, so expensive that they were treated as a form of currency.

Types of Tulips:

Based on the time of bloom, Tulips can be divided into early, mid, and late season flowering Tulips.

• Early Flowering Tulips:-These Tulips flower head in March and early April. Early Flowering Tulips are Species Tulips, Kaufmanniana (eg., Waterlily), Fosteriana (eg., Red Emperor), Single Early (eg., Apricot Beauty ), Double Early, Greigii Tulips, etc.
• Midseason Flowering Tulips:- These Tulips flower head in April and early may. Eg., Triumph, Swan Wings Tulip, Darwin Hybrids, Parrot Tulips.
• Late Flowering Tulips:- These Tulips flower head in May. Eg., Single Late, Double Late, Viridiflora Tulips, Lily-Flowered, Fringed Tulips, Rembrandt Tulips, Multi Flowering Tulips

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