Tulip is the country flower of Hungary. It is also the national flower of Holland because it has a close association with the country. In fact, the cultivated forms of the flowers are often referred to as “Dutch tulips”. Every year in May, tulip festivals are celebrated in Netherlands, Spalding and in North America. Nowadays, the flower is also achieving some degree of popularity in Australia.

It is believed that the flower and its name originated in the Middle East because of the flower’s resemblance to a turban when fully bloomed. Actually, the tulip is a garden flower and is also used as cut flowers. The early Pennsylvanian Dutch potters used tulips so commonly in their designs that their wares were popularly known as ‘tulip wares’.

Tulips are grown extensively in southern Europe, North Africa and in Asia – primarily from Anatolia and Iran to the Far East (North East of China and Japan). The plant thrives well in cold winter seasons and it is said that tulips are grown in a season which is unfriendly to almost all other flowers.

It is a perennial bulbous plant which grows to a height of 7-10cms. The large flowers contain six petals which are solitary, shaped as inverted bells. The tulip comes in a variety of colours which ranges from white to yellow, red, brown and deep purple to almost black.