Common Name: Tulip
Genus & Species: Tulipa x gesneriana (L.)
Family: Liliaceae
Similar Species: Tulipa sylvestris (wild tulip)
Range and Habitat: Tulip species tend to favour open habitats such as steppe and mountain pasture and are native from the Balkans and Greece eastwards across the Levant and Sinai Peninsula, Turkey, Mesopotamia, Persia and to the Tien Shan mountains of western China, which forms the centre of their diversity and probably represents the region where the genus first evolved. One species also appears to be native to northern Africa. They are commonly naturalised in orchards and open woodland across their range.
General ID: As a plant that has long been in cultivation, appearance can be highly variable. Tulips are spring flowering scaled bulbs that usually bear 2 – 6 leaves emerging from the apex of the bulb and diminishing in size up the flowering stem, which tends to be fleshy and bare. Flowers are normally borne singly, although this depends on the variety, with some species and cultivars having multiple flower-heads. Some tulips also have coloured veins on their leaves. Flowers are usually cup or vase shaped and relatively simple. Wild flowers tend to appear in the yellow-red spectrum or occasionally whitish. Cultivation has expanded this palette considerably, and the highly variable patterns were caused by a mosaic virus.
For food… The flower petals are edible and a delightful addition to salads. Taste varies according to variety and season but are generally regarded as ‘lettuce like’. The cup shaped petals are pleasant canapés with the addition of feta cheese or similar.
Reports of bulb edibility are highly variable. They were eaten in the Netherlands during the Dutch famine of 1944-45 and doctors of the time provided tulip recipes. Some sources suggest that tulip bulbs are edible and are a good substitute for onions during cooking. It has also been suggested that tulip bulbs in a dry powder can be added to flour and cereal products.
The sources suggest that to make tulips edible the outer skin needs to be removed (like an onion) and you must also remove the inner yellow part which is the flower as it is poisonous. However, most reports suggest that it is not advisable to ingest the bulbs as most instances of consumption result in discomfort or illness and there is no clear consensus on how to make them safe for human consumption, if at all. Some people are also allergic to tulips, and therefore any form of consumption would be ill-advised in those cases.
For healing… Tulip flowers have been used as a poultice for insect bites, bee stings and have provided relief from scratches, itches and skin irritations, although some report an allergic reaction to it. Tulip sap also has diuretic and antiseptic properties and has been used to treat coughs and colds.
Some tulips at FFPG
In culture… Tulip cultivation appears to have begun in Persia, and it is there that much of the oldest references to them appear in culture. They are a favourite flower at the Haft-Seen table for the celebration of the Spring Equinox known as Now Ruz in Persia, where it is a secular tradition among the Muslim population, but has deeper spiritual significance for Zoroastrians and Baha’is. Tulips are a consistent feature in the art and poetry of the region, being mentioned in the works of Omar Kayam, Jalāl ad-Dīn Rûmi and Simin Behabani among others. In the 13th Century poem Gulistan by Musharrifu'd-din Saadi, a visionary garden paradise is described as having:
"The murmur of a cool stream,
bird song, ripe fruit in plenty,
bright multicoloured tulips and fragrant roses..."
The name tulip appears to have been first mentioned in western Europe in or around 1554 and seemingly derived from the "Turkish Letters" of diplomat Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, first appeared in English as tulipa or tulipant, entering the language by way of French: tulipe and its obsolete form tulipan or by way of Modern Latin tulipa, from Ottoman Turkish tülbend ("muslin" or "gauze"), and may be ultimately derived from the Persian delband or turban, a reference to how some species’ flowers allegedly resemble that particular style of headwear. The word for tulip in Persian is "laleh", and this has become popular as a girl's name. The name has been used for commercial enterprises, such as the Laleh International Hotel, as well as public facilities, such as Laleh Park and Laleh Hospital, and the tulip motif remains common in Iranian culture. Whilst in English it may not be immediately apparent, in Persian the word for tulip has the same letters as Allah, which is why the flower became a holy symbol.
It was also associated with the royal House of Osman, representing paradise, indulgence, abundance and wealth, resulting in tulips being widely used in decorative motifs on tiles, mosques, fabrics, crockery, postage stamps and coins. It is the national symbol for martyrdom in Iran and for Shi'ite Islam more broadly. The tomb of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini is decorated with 72 stained glass tulips, representing 72 martyrs who died at the Battle of Karbala in 680CE. It was also used as a symbol on billboards commemorating casualties of the 1980–1988 war with Iraq. The tulip also became a symbol of protest against the Iranian government since 2009, and the Iranian Green Movement has adopted the tulip as a symbol of their struggle and Turkish Airlines uses a grey tulip emblem on its aircraft.
Outside of Persia, it also carries deep meaning. Tulip festivals are a regular occurance in the USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia in addition to the tulip’s native range. In Christianity, tulips symbolise passion, belief and love. White tulips represent forgiveness while purple tulips represent royalty, both important aspects of Easter. The tulip occurs on a number of the Major Arcana cards of occultist Oswald Wirth's deck of Tarot cards, specifically the Magician, Emperor, Temperance and the Fool, described in his 1927 work Le Tarot, des Imagiers du Moyen Âge. It also appears as a central motif in The Black Tulip (1850) is an historical romance by Alexandre Dumas, père. The story takes place in the Dutch city of Haarlem, where a reward is offered to the first grower who can produce a truly black tulip.
The most significant affect that tulips have had in the west however, would be what would later be known as ‘Tulip Mania’. This was where the Dutch economy speculated highly on tulip bulbs, particularly those with feathered patterns on the petals. Prices for individual bulbs sky-rocketed and in some instances sold for 2500 florins which would equal about £110,000 today. There were instances of people trading houses for tulip bulbs, and even one man who died of hypothermia after such a trade, and putting his single blanket over his tulip bulbs to protect them in the Dutch winter of 1637. Unbeknown to them, the feathered patterns were the result of the tulip mosaic virus, and had nothing to do with the genetic heritage of the bulbs themselves, making the feathering rare and unpredictable. The economic fallout of tulip mania destabilised the economy to such an extent that it significantly contributed to the decline in the Dutch East India Company, which allowed the British East India Company to gain a foothold in previously Dutch dominated areas, and led to sweeping legal reforms in the Dutch legal system.
For wildlife… Whilst the fact that they are non-native plants in the UK means that tulips do not have any evidenced specific relationships with UK fauna, their early flowering and relatively open cup shaped flowers make them popular with bumblebees (Bombus sp.). They are also popular food plants for slugs and snails!
At FFPG… Tulips of various cultivars can be found growing in the chill-out area and the orchard at FFPG
Disclaimer:
This is intended for information only. FFPG, its staff, trustees and volunteers do not make any claim as to the safety or efficacy of plants listed for medicinal purposes and do not encourage the consumption or use of any of the plants listed herein. Anybody wishing to use plants for medicinal effect is advised to consult their medical professional.