Tulip Fever

Tulip Timeline. A potted history of the tulip

1000 AD Tulips cultivated in Turkey.

1100 Tulips are used in the initials of an Italian bible.

12th century Omarr Khayam writes a poem about tulips.

13th century The poet, Rumi, sings the praises of tulips in many songs.

1520 - 1566 The “Tulip Era” takes place in Turkey under Suleiman II.

1557 First drawing of a tulip in western Europe.

1561 First book in which a tulip is portrayed (C. Gesner).

1568 First portrayal of a tulip in a Dutch book. (R. Dodoens’ ‘Cruydtboeck’ (Herbal).

1578 First tulip appears in England.

1581 Matthias de l’ Obel describes 41 varieties of tulips in his’Cruydtboeck’.

1593 Carolus Clusius plants the first tulip in the Botanical Gardens in Leiden, the Netherlands.

1594 The first tulips bloom in the Netherlands.

1598 The first tulip appears in France.

1600 - 1650 The tulip is an exclusive garden plant. It is planted in strategic places in the garden.

1600 Establishment of the first cultivation operations south of Haarlem, especially along the Wagenweg and the Kleine Houtweg. These absolute monopolies would hold onto their positions for about 150 years.

1612 Emanuel Swerts publishes the first trade catalogue and includes tulips in it.

1610 - 1637 The development of a lively trade in tulip bulbs results in a wild speculation in tulips. It was especially during the period between 1623 and 1637 that prices rose steeply. An example: ‘Semper Augustus’ cost 1200 florins per bulb in 1624; in 1625 it cost 3000 florins; in 1633 it cost 5000 florins; and in 1637, 3 bulbs cost 30,000 florins. In comparison, a house along a canal in Amsterdam cost 10,000 florins in those days. This period may receive a lot of attention. Since that time there has never been such a speculation in the Netherlands.

1630 The first parrot tulip is described.

1650 The firm of Voorhelm is established in Haarlem.

1651 A record of tulips written by F. Morin appears in Paris.

1661 The Elector from Brandenburg records 126 different tulips in an inventory.

1700 - 1730 Tulip mania in Turkey. Mohammed Lalizari is a great tulip enthusiast. During this time he imports thousands of bulbs to Turkey from the Netherlands.

18th Century Tulip less important than the hyacinth. Around 1730 there is somewhat of a speculation in hyacinths.

1730 - 1740 The Margrave van Baden-Durlack publishes a catalogue which includes the statement that he has bought bulbs from 17 Dutch companies, 15 of them in Haarlem.

1734 Dialogue of Waermondt and Gaergoedt about the tulip speculation is published again, this time as a result of a threatening speculation in hyacinths.

1750 The introduction of the tulips called ‘Keizerskroon’ (still cultivated on 2.3 ha of land in the Netherlands).

19th Century Cultivation is expanded, at first in the direction of Overveen and Bloemendaal, and then, in the second half of the nineteenth century, toward Hillegom, Lisse and Noordwijk. Tulips were included in the group called “bijgoed” (miscellaneous kinds of bulbs and tubers). Only hyacinths were listed under the term “bollen” (bulbs).

1815 Introduction of the tulip cultivar ‘Couleur Cardinal’ [still cultivated today on 23 hectares in the Netherlands; it has also produced a number of mutants such as ‘Arma’ (44 ha) and ‘Prinses Irene’ (72 ha)].

1849 J.B. van der Schoot is the first “bollenreiziger” (travelling bulb salesman) to go to the United States. Bulbs had been sold to the U.S. from Holland as early as the 18th century.

1860 Introduction of the fragrant tulip ‘Prins van Oostenrijk’ and the double early tulip, ‘Murillo’.

1872 The discovery of T. greigii takes place via P.L. Graeber. Bulbs are sent to C.G. van Tubergen who ensures that the tulips are introduced.

1875 E. A. Regal describes Tulips kaufmanniana.

1889 Introduction of Darwin tulips. Introduction of ‘Bartigon’ in 1898. These tulips would turn out to be the most commonly cultivated tulips.

1914 - 1915 First “Classified List of Tulip Names”. Included in how the flowers were arranged were: flowering period, shape and the degree of “bloembreking” (the striping and splashing of colours within the flower).

1928 Establishment of the Hortus Bulborum.

1943 First professional publication about viruses which affect tulips, complete with clinical pictures.

1943 As a result of crossing, D.W. Lefeber develops enormous red tulips which are known as Darwin hybrids. The most famous one is ‘Apeldoorn’.

1960 A trip by carriage form Turkey to the Netherlands to commemorate the existence of tulips in western Europe for 400 years.

1977 Introduction of “ice tulips,” tulips held in sustained coolness to delay forcing beyond normal time period to extend the availability of cut tulip flowers into “down months” when they were previously not available.