In the 1500s, Carolus Clusius, a botanist at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, received some tulip bulbs from the ambassador to the sultan. Clusius grew the plants in his private collection, but he would not share his bulbs or sell them. As a result, the gardens were repeatedly raided and the bulbs sold. Holland’s tulip industry was born. As the popularity of tulips in Holland grew, the bulbs’ value increased. They were considered a rarity and commanded an enormous price that only the wealthy could afford. There was a rush on tulip bulbs from 1634 to 1637 as speculators bought them hoping to sell at a high price. Many did during Tulip Mania, or the tulip craze, but in 1637 too many speculators sold at once and the tulip market crashed, ending this brief but memorable period. Tulip Mania ended in 1637, but the fascination with tulips was deeply rooted and grew into a huge commercial enterprise. Today, Holland is the largest producer of tulips worldwide, exporting about 3 billion bulbs per year.
Tulips come in many solid colors, but there are striped ones, too. These unusual tulips were greatly prized and sold for a high price since the 1600s, but in 1931, scientists discovered that the coloring was caused by a virus spread by aphids (sap-sucking insects). Today, this coloring is reproduced artificially. The virus is still used to alter the DNA, but it’s done without aphids.
Tulips are actually a part of the lily family, which also includes onions, garlic, and asparagus. The petals are edible and have been used as an onion substitute and to make wine. Tulips were commonly used in food during the Dutch famine over the course of World War II. Unlike most other flowers, Tulips continue to grow, sometimes up to an additional 6 inches after they've been cut! Combined with the fact they follow the sun even when they're in a vase, this is why you will see them weave and bob as they try to point and grow towards it.
