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What are the properties of tulips?

Tulip (scientific name: Tulipa gesneriana L.) is a perennial herb of the genus Tulipa in the Liliaceae family with bulbs. The English name is “Garden tulip” or “Didier’s tulip”. The tulip is widely believed to be native to Turkey and is the national flower of Turkey, the Netherlands, Hungary and other countries.

The tulip is the recognized national flower of the Netherlands, and the Netherlands is also known as the country of tulips. The history of Dutch tulips begins with a horticulturalist named Clusius. In the 16th century, Clusius, who was a gardener in the Vienna Royal Garden, did everything possible to get the beautiful tulips native to Asia from the Austrian ambassador to Turkey, and brought the tulips to the Netherlands, making this flower quickly. All over the Netherlands, there was a tulip craze.

Morphological characteristics

Perennial herb. The bulb is slightly conical, about 2-3cm in diameter, covered with a pale yellow to tan epithelium, with 2-5 fleshy scales inside. Stems and leaves are smooth and whitish. Leaves 3-5, band-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, entire and corrugated, often hairy, of which 2-3 are broad and basal. Flowers solitary stem top, large, erect cup-shaped, magenta, bright yellow to purple-red, with dark purple spots at the base, 6 perianth segments, free, obovate-oblong, flowering from March to May. Capsule chambers dorsally dehiscent, seeds flattened.

Growth habit

Tulips are native to the Mediterranean coast, Central Asia, Turkey and other places. Due to the Mediterranean climate, tulips have the characteristics of adapting to wet and cold winters and dry and hot summers. They have the characteristics of dormancy in summer, rooting in autumn and winter and sprouting but not unearthed. After the low temperature in winter, the tulip begins in early February of the second year (the temperature is above 5 °C). It stretches to form stems and leaves, and blooms from March to April. The optimum temperature for growth and flowering is 15-20°C.

Flower bud differentiation is carried out during the storage period when the stems and leaves turn yellow, and the bulbs are dug up from the pots and placed in a cool and cool outdoor in the summer. The optimum temperature for differentiation is 20 to 25 °C, and the maximum temperature should not exceed 28 °C.

Tulip is a long-day flower. It likes to be sunny and sheltered from the wind. It is warm and humid in winter and cool and dry in summer. It can grow normally when the temperature is above 8°C, and generally can withstand low temperature of -14°C. It has strong cold resistance. If the bulbs are covered with thick snow in severe cold areas, the bulbs can overwinter in the open field, but they are afraid of extreme heat. If the summer comes early and the midsummer is very hot, it will be difficult for the bulbs to spend the summer after dormancy. It requires a slightly acidic sandy loam rich in humus, loose and fertile, and well-drained. Avoid alkaline soil and continuous cropping.

Variety classification

Tulip cultivars can be divided into early-flowering and late-flowering varieties. After long-term hybrid cultivation by horticulturalists, there are more than 8,000 varieties in the world. There are about 150 species produced in large quantities, of which red, yellow and purple are the most popular.

A new species of Cathay tulip, discovered in 1999 by Dutchman Jan Kahlo, has a dark purple feathery parrot-like shape as a whole. On March 24, 2014, Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan was invited by the Dutch royal family to name the new purple parrot-shaped tulip “Cathay”.

“Cathay Pacific” gives this purple tulip a new connotation of world peace, national prosperity and people’s well-being. It has now become a flower for national foreign affairs activities, large-scale celebrations, Chinese and foreign flower exhibitions, high-end palaces, and high-standard ceremonial gifts.

Distribution range

Native to the Mediterranean coast, Central Asia, and Turkey. This species is a widely cultivated flower with many varieties due to its long history.

Flower language

• Tulip – fraternity. Considerate. Elegance. Wealth. Ability. Smart and kind.
• Tulip (purple) – endless love, favorite. Tulip (white) – pure and pure love. Tulip (pink) – forever love.
• Tulip (red) – confession of love, joy, passionate love. Tulip (yellow) – cheerful. Tulip (black) – mysterious, noble, unique leader power, the crown of honor.
• Tulip (two-color): beautiful you, happy to meet. Tulip (feather): affectionate.