No flower can claim as interesting of a history as the tulip. Did you know it was the worlds most coveted flower … twice? That’s right! Before Holland’s Tulipmainia they were the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire. They even hold the record for the most expensive single flower in history.

The characteristics of the tulip are unmatched; beautiful, and completely unique – it’s no wonder so many places around the world dedicate festivals and events to them, even now.

HISTORY OF TULIPS

Although we think of Holland when we hear tulips, the craze really started with the late Ottoman Empire. To them it was a sign of indulgence and was very popular among court society. This time in Ottoman History is known as the Tulip Period. Everything they did was influenced by the tulip: lavish art, architecture, even the standards of dress incorporated the tulip somehow. Markets in Istanbul overflowed with tulips – not just the plant, but silks, sculptures, textiles – everything was tulips!

The tulip craze spread quickly to Europe where the Dutch really took it to a new level.

The Ambassador to Turkey gave a collection of bulbs to  Flemish Botanist Charles Clusius who was the first European to cultivate the plant. The craze began almost instantly. A flower that could actually withstand the harsh winters and dry summers, it seemed perfect. Clusius’ personal garden was robbed and over 100 bulbs were stolen.

Prices of tulip bulbs skyrocketed! From seeds tulips can take 7-12 years to bloom, you needed a bulb. The demand for these bulbs was unheard of. In 1635, just 40 bulbs sold for 100,000 florins. A skilled laborer of that time only made 150 florins a year! And if you still need more proof these prices were outrageous, 1 florin today would be over $16 in U.S. dollars.

It’s no wonder everyone was trying to get in on this get-rich-quick phase. Everyone was trying to breed their own unique version that would be the next big hit.

The most expensive tulip ever to exist was the Semper Augustus. It’s rare variegated pattern was too good to be true. The unique stripes on the petals were actually caused by a serious disease known as “Tulip Breaking Virus.” Tulips with this virus were actually more expensive than ever!

In 1637, the high demand abruptly came to a stop  and the short-lived ‘mania’ quickly ended as the market fell into shambles.

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