History lesson! Tulpen, Nederlands for tulips, are the first thing to come to mind anytime someone says "dutch" - quickly followed by klompen, kaas and windmills. Tulips originated as wildflowers from Central Asia and were first cultivated by the Turks. The name tulip is derived from the Turkish word for turban, which is reminiscent of the shape of the flower. From Istanbul to Vienna, and then picked up by Carolus Clusius, the tulip made an incredible journey from wildflower to cultural icon.
Clusius was the imperial botanist (still a thing??) and learned to cultivate the beautiful bulbed-flowers in Vienna, and then brought them home to Leiden, Netherlands where the cool, damp climate proved to be an ideal place for breeding and cross-breeding tulips. In 1590, he became the director of the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden, which is now the oldest botanical gardens in Europe. It makes sense that the bollenstreek, or bulb region, is centered around Leiden. Tulip fields prevail all along the western side of this tiny country, but to get the incredible field-selfies tourists need to head towards Leiden. I'm getting ahead of myself... tulips, Carolus, 1590...
Tulips, even in Clusius' day, came in many colors and styles and grabbed the attention of wealthy merchants that put them on display in their homes. People craved all things exotic, as wealth started to grow for the masses. The late 16th and early 17th century was a time of growth and prosperity for the Netherlands, as an early capitalist society emerged. In this Golden Age, more people had - for the first time - discretionary cash! With the bulb-form of the plant, and its natural disease resistance, it was easy to trade and therefore place extreme value on the plants before they actually became a flower. Tulips became more and more popular, and so they traded rapidly and the prices for bulbs skyrocketed. At times, the bulbs would be purchased for their weight in gold! Modern technology has made our current world smaller and more accessible, so it's hard to imagine the wonder and excitement that would have come from seeing vibrant, frilly-petaled flowers for the very first time. Coupled with a booming population that now had money to spend - well why not spend it on tulips?!
This lasted until the bottom fell out of the bulb-market in 1637 and many went bankrupt, losing everything. Not everyone bought into the hysteria, and many paintings poke fun of the "Tulip Mania" and outrageous prices of tulips. Nothing lasts forever, but the Tulip Mania lasted long enough for tulpen to become the icon of all that is Dutch. While this this most popular bulb plant, it is not the only one that the Dutch have successfully cultivated. Hyacinths, Narcissus, and Daffodils are all staples of the Dutch bulb industry, and many varieties of each have been created and cultivated in the Netherlands.
It is easy to poke fun at the idea of paying exorbitant prices for tulip bulbs back in the 17th century, but the booming tulip business helped save many from starvation 300 years later. During World War II, while the Netherlands was occupied by Germany, starvation was rampant and accompanied by an extremely cold winter. The tulip went from ornamental plant to life-saving food for many. Even doctors provided directions on how to cook the bulbs because of the high-starch content in the bulb. They couldn't be exported, so might as well make use of it. Apparently, they taste like potatoes.
While in the Netherlands, one of the most noted stops for tourists is Keukenhof - a park that is solely dedicated to displaying the beauty of tulips and other bulb plants. The pictures in this blog post are all from our visit to Keukenhof, during the second half of tulip season. This park is only open for about 2 months a year, making it that much more special of a visit.
All pictures are my own, from my visit to Keukenhof. I used the following resources for the history portion:
Harmans, Gerard M. Eye Witness Travel: The Netherlands. DK Eyewitness Travel, 2017. Pp 35, 69
“Tulip FAQs.” Amsterdam Tulip Museum, www.amsterdamtulipmuseum.com/en/faq/tulips/were-tulip-bulbs-eaten-during-the-2nd-world-war/.
Nevez, Catherine Le, and Daniel C.. Schechter. The Netherlands. Lonely Planet, 2016. Pp 52, 255