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March 2007 Newsletter
Tulipomania
LEED Green
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Although this winter has not been a long or particularly cold one, still the anticipation of spring
is upon us. To many avid gardeners,
daffodils and tulips are the harbingers
of spring, bringing the first
splashes of color to brighten up our
winter landscapes. Tulips are a favorite
because there are so many
different varieties and vivid colors to
choose from. Although tulips are
native to Turkey, the Netherlands
have become famous for their expertise
in tulip cultivation. When tulips
were first introduced into Holland,
horticulturalists began cultivating
many new colors and varieties so
that tulips soon became a favorite
flower that could be found in many
gardens throughout Europe. By the
early 17th century, this flower had
become an essential element to the
gardens of the elite aristocracy of
Europe, and had actually become a
status symbol of the wealthy. New
unique varieties of tulips were coveted
by those wealthy Europeans
that could afford to pay top dollar
for them. The prices of tulip bulbs started to spike because of this demand and began a craze
known now as “Tulipomania”. Interestingly, the rarest and most expensive of the tulip bulbs
had become infected with a virus that caused them to display unique vivid color patterns with
streaking of the flower petals. These were the most coveted of all tulip varieties, but were the
rarest because the virus caused the plants to be less vigorous. At the time, no one knew that
these beautiful tulips were infected with a virus, but they wanted these varieties for their gardens
and so the prices of tulip bulbs, especially the rare streaked ones, started to rise and caused the
first known economic “bubble”. The prices of tulip bulbs spiked so much that some of the more
coveted varieties were sold for the equivalent of thousands of dollars. Some bulbs were actually
used like money and were traded for land, houses, or livestock. The most famous tulip of all
was called the Semper Augustus, and supposedly one bulb of this tulip was sold for the equivalent
of a house on the canals in the heart of Amsterdam. These tulips became known later as
‘Rembrandt’ tulips because of the colorful streaking that the virus caused. At the time, Dutch
painters were hired to paint these rare coveted flowers, and a painting was probably more affordable
at the time than an actual bulb. This tulip craze peaked in 1637, when one rare bulb
cost as much as a house. Then, the tulip traders started getting scared because they knew that
the prices would fall, so they panicked and started selling. This caused the prices of tulip bulbs
to plummet and in the course of a few months, the economic bubble burst and many Dutch traders
literally lost their fortunes and were stuck with bulbs they could not sell. Who would have
thought that fortunes could be made and destroyed overnight by something as beautiful and simple
and unassuming as a little tulip? Tulips are still a favorite of gardeners today but, thankfully,
they no longer will cost you your house.