English Florists’ tulips
Most professionally grown tulips here in the United States are grown from bulbs that originate in The Netherlands- commonly referred to as Dutch tulips.
What are dutch tulips?
Dutch tulips are the tulips we see piled high on our instagram feeds and on social media. They’re the tulips that paint The Netherlands into a rich rainbow landscape. Dutch tulips have been meticulously bred to be exactly what florists around the world are looking for- a tall and uniform flower. Tulips play a major role in the Dutch economy and overall global world trade. Many folks may be interested to hear that in addition to Dutch tulips, there are two other types of lesser known, although (in my opinion) arguably more interesting, tulips- Wild Tulips (which are also known as species tulips or botanical tulips) and English Florists’ Tulips.
A field of Dutch Tulips in The Netherlands.
Tulips were first brought to England in the 16th century and have since been a staple in many English gardens. During that time an entirely new category of tulips emerged- the English Florists’ Tulip.
WHATS AN ENGLISH FLORISTS TULIP?
The term florist used to have an entirely different meaning than what we know today. A florist was someone who immensely enjoyed plants and grew them on their own accord. According to this New York Times article- “Until the 1800’s the term florist was not used for flower sellers, but to describe a particular intense sort of amateur grower.” The Wakefield and North England Tulip Society further describes them- “'Florists were persons who grew plants for the sake of their decorative flowers rather than for any useful property the flower might have.”
These “intense amateur growers” were oftentimes enamored by the same types of tulips that caused The Netherlands “Tulipomania” crash in the 1600’s- beautifully streaked tulips caused by the breaking virus. True broken tulip varieties are now illegal in The Netherlands, but some varieties (like Carnaval de Nice & Carnaval de Rio) have been bred to mimic the characteristics of broken varieties- they’re often referred to as ‘Flame Tulips’.
Check out this blog that gives a quick overview of the breaking virus
“Intense amateur English growers” would find a broken tulip they loved and carefully split the daughter bulbs off. The daughter bulbs would potentially have to be nourished for many years until they would bear a full-grown tulip capable of producing its’ own daughter bulbs. This practice is a pure labor of love. Groups like The Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society are largely responsible for the well-being and survival of many English Florist Tulips. New varieties of English Florists’ tulips are constantly being developed by tulip enthusiasts and others are falling into extinction. Hortus Tulipus is a website and organization that keeps record of these interesting and rare tulips- new and extinct.
A tulip with breaking virus. Photo by Karissa Monette. Tulip grown at Little Farmhouse Flowers.
At one point in the 19th century, English Florists’ tulips were so popular that there were hundreds of appreciation societies in the country. Thousands of Florists Tulips would be gathered and showcased at these societies exhibitions all over the United Kingdom. After World War I and the collapse of the Royal National Tulip Society 1936, these tulip societies faced near extinction. The Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society is one of the only (if not THE only) last surviving Tulip Society in England, (and possibly the world). The main focus on these tulip societies is the preservation and appreciation of the English Florist Tulip.
While searching for information about English Florists’ Tulips I came across an obituary for James Akers, who passed away in December of 2023. He was an expert on English Florist Tulips and played an integral role in the Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society. According to his obituary- “(He) was an expert on the rare and beautiful English Florist tulip, which was distinguished by flame and feathered markings that were initially caused by a virus but which are now part and parce of its physiognomy.”
Have any questions or comments? Feel free to leave them below!
-Karissa
