Tulips are a beautiful flower with A LOT of rich and interesting history. But where do these flirty and fun blooms originally come from? The short answer - Turkey and Asia.


We're incredibly lucky that in New Zealand, we have amazing access to a range of tulips from our growers. But did you know that these bulbs originally came from the Netherlands? Annually the Dutch supply 80% of the world market!



Where Do Tulips Come From Originally?


The tulips natural environment stretches from Turkey right across Central Asia and including parts of Southern Europe. The Ottoman Empire based around Turkey, the Middle East and Arabia was the first to significantly cultivate tulips and make them part of their culture. The name tulip itself comes from the Persian word for turban. In the 15th and 16th century, it was fashionable for Ottoman officials to wear a tulip in their turban. When foreigners asked about the flower, they were given the name of the garment, a tulben, with this name going back to Europe as the plant name.



Where Do Tulip Bulbs Come From?


If you're purchasing tulips, either as a cut flower or bulbs, the original plant would have originated in the Netherlands. We're incredibly lucky to have growers that specialised in tulips and tulip bulb production, making sure we can enjoy the tulip season.