Tulip Flowers

Name : Tulip Flowers
Latin Name : Genus:Tulipa (Tulipa gesneriana)
Tulip Description

Tulip is a bulbous plant belonging to the genus Tulipa which comprises of 109 species of bulbous plants with showy flowers, in the family Liliaceae. Tulip is native to southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia from Anatolia and Iran in the west to northeast of China whereas the centre of diversity of this genus lies in the Tien-Shan and Pamir-alai Mountain Ranges near Islamabad and the steppes of Kazakhstan. The first commercial cultivation of the Tulip dates back to 1000 AD when Turkish growers from the Ottoman Empire took an interest in this majestic flower. In fact, the common name Tulip is thought to be a corruption of the Turkish word 'tulbend' which means turban. In Turkey and Iran, the tulip is known as lale (from Persian ????, lâleh) and Tulip is the national flower of Turkey. Still tulips are traditionally associated with Holland and the term “Dutch Tulips” is fairly common.

Tulips are the third most popular flowers world-wide next only to the Rose and Chrysanthemums. Due to extensive breeding and hybridization, Tulips are available in an incredible variety of colours, shapes and sizes and some fragrant varieties have also been developed. Most of the cultivars of Tulip are derived from the species Tulipa gesneriana. Right now, there are more than 3,000 cultivated varieties of Tulips.

Tulip varieties vary a lot in general form and habit, and include short low-growing plants to tall upright varieties, growing from 4–27 inches tall. The Tulip plant typically has 2 to 6 leaves, with some species having up to 12 leaves. The foliage of Tulip is strap-shaped and waxy, with mostly light to medium green shade. The blades are farful and attractive cup shaped flowers typically have six tepals or identical petals and sepals. These are often marked near the bases with darker hues.

Tulips thrive in partial to full sun in almost any soil, with a good drainage. The Tulip does best in climates with long cool springs and early summers, but is often grown as spring blooming annual plantings in warmer areas of the world. Tulips can also tolerate cold and snowy winter. Tulips are generally started from bulbs started in late summer and fall for spring blooms. They can also be propagated through offsets, seeds or via micro-propagation.

Tulips are excellent garden plants and a number of species and many hybrid cultivars are popular as garden varieties. Tulips may also be used as potted plants that add colour to stairs, porches and patios. Tulips always look better in groups and are great for landscaping and colour scheming of flowerbeds and borders.

Tulips are great cut flowers as well with year round availability and a considerably long vase life of 7-10 days. The abundance of colours makes them suitable for any wedding scheme and their timeless beauty and grace makes them fit for any occasion no matter how grand. Tulips are the ideal choice for bouquets, table centerpieces and also for corsage work.

Tulip Meaning

The majestic Tulip symbolizes Elegance, Grace and Perfect Love. It signifies Imagination, Fame, Dreaminess, Perfect Lover, and A Declaration Of Love.

Tulips have colour specific meanings as well:

A Red Tulip stands for Declaration of Love and can be used to convey the message Believe Me. Red tulips are also used on Valentine's Day.
A Yellow Tulip conveys the message There's Sunshine in Your Smile. It was once used to represent Hopeless Love but is now an emblem of Cheerful Thoughts And Sunshine.
A Purple Tulip symbolizes Royalty.
White Tulips are used to claim Worthiness or to grant Forgiveness.
Variegated Tulips are used to compliment Beautiful Eyes.

Tulip Mythology

It is believed that the Tulip was initially introduced to Europe by Oghier Ghislain de Busbecq, Ambassador of Ferdinand I to Suleyman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire in 1554. He remarked in one of his letters that he saw "an abundance of flowers everywhere; Narcissus, hyacinths and those in Turkish called Lale, much to our astonishment because it was almost midwinter, a season unfriendly to flowers".

The Tulip was considered the embodiment of abundance and indulgence in the Ottoman Empire and the time during which the Ottoman Empire was wealthiest is called the Tulip era or Lale Devri in Turkish. In classic and modern Persian literature, the Tulip is held in high esteem and in recent times tulips have featured in the poems of Simin Behbahani. This fascination of art and poetry with the tulip is not new since the Tulip was a topic for Persian poets as far back as the thirteenth century. Musharrifu'd-din Saadi (poet) in Gulistan described his idea of paradise in the form of a visionary garden:

'The murmur of a cool stream
Bird song, ripe fruit in plenty
Bright multicoloured tulips and fragrant roses...'

The Tulip was reintroduced to Europe by a famous Austrian biologist Carolus Clusius and in 1610, French ladies wore corsages of tulips, and fabrics were adorned with tulip designs. Most of the Tulip bulbs were grown in Flanders by monks.

Between 1634 and 1637, the flower gained so much popularity that it triggered a speculative frenzy now known as the tulip mania. During this time tulip bulbs were considered a form of currency and were traded at exorbitant prices. The ceramic tulipiere was devised for the display of the elegant Tulip cut flowers stem by stem while bouquets in vases of any type of flowers were rare until the 19th century. Dutch still-life painting from that era also featured Tulips excessively. It is said that fortunes were lost over the acquisition and speculation of bulbs of the majestic Tulip flower.

Even today, the world pays its tribute to this timeless beauty and Tulip Festivals are held in the Netherlands, Spalding (England) and in North America in May each year. These include the Skagit Valley Festival in Washington, the Tulip Festival in Orange City and Pella, Iowa, and the three week annual Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa, Canada. The world's largest and permanent display of tulips is in Keukenhof in the Netherlands, it is opened to the public only seasonally.

Tulip bulbs also have some culinary importance and are a good replacement for onions in cooking. During times of famine the Dutch ate tulip bulbs when no other source of food was available. In Japan, Tulip bulbs are dried to make a special kind of flour.

It is said that in the 16th century the Sultan of Persia portrayed his affection with tulips, and presented a crimson tulip to his beloved as a symbol of the burning flame of his love. The first red tulips were tinged black at the base of each petal which is signified that the sultan's heart was charred to black coal. Due to this overt suggestion of sexual attraction, the Victorians rarely used the tulip as an expression of love.

A famous legend from Turkish folklore tells of the eternal love between Shirin and Farhad. It is said that a handsome prince named Farhad was stricken with love for the fair maiden, Shirin. He was exiled for loving her, and given the impossible task of carving a stream of milk from a mountain of stone. He set to work but his beloved killed herself in despair thinking the task impossible. When Farhad learnt of Shirin’s death, he mounted his favourite horse and galloped over a cliff to his death, to be united forever with his love. It is said that from each droplet of his blood sprang a scarlet tulip, making the flower a historic symbol of perfect, eternal love.