| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Manoliophyta |
| Class: | Lilliopsida |
| Order: | Liliales |
| Family: | Liliaceae |
| Genus: | Tulipa |
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The true origin of this delicate flower, the tulip, is found in the country of Turkey where it is the national flower. The tulip is a major motif that is featured prominently in Persian and Turkish folk arts. Although Turkey is where it originated, its tightest association is with the country of the Netherlands. For centuries the tulip has been associated with the Netherlands. For instance, in an annual gesture of gratitude to Canada for liberating the nation from Nazi German tyranny in World War II and for serving as a refuge for the Crown Princess, Queen Juliana, a supply of tulips is sent to be planted in Canada's national capital in Ottawa.
Numerous cultivars have been bred for garden use. It is often considered one of humanity's "canonical flowers", along with the rose, lily, orchid, and peony. Other varieties of tulip cultivars include the Parrot Tulip and the Double Tulip.
Tulips require a climate that includes both cold and warm temperatures. Tulips can be grown in either of two ways: through offsets or seed. Being genetic clones of the parent plant, offsets are the only way to enlarge the stock of a given tulip cultivar. A tulip grown from seed will usually bear only a passing resemblance to the flower from which the seeds were taken. This makes for great potential in breeding new tulip flowers, and great variation in the wild. However, tulip growers must be patient: offsets often take at least a year to grow to sufficient size to flower, and a tulip grown from seed will not flower for anywhere between five and seven years after planting. To plant the perennial, first cultivate and fertilize the soil. The next step is to then dig one hole per bulb, about 2-3 inches deep. Generally it is best to plant in the fall as this allows having beautiful color in the early spring. The cost of growing 200 tulip bulbs runs from about 18 dollars to the high end of 532 dollars. The investment is definitely worth the cost and time put into planting these gorgeous perennials.
There are many different cultivars for tulips. Double tulips, Parrot tulips, horned tulip, fringed tulip caused by mutation, and the classic tulip. Any and all of the varieties are the perfect cutting flower. They usually have tall stems and look gorgeous in a tall glass vase.
Thank you Wikipedia.com for the information!
http://www.greenleafconsulting.com/parrot.jpg
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