Tulips, one of the most popular cut flowers in the world, come in pretty much every color under the sun – some say there is even a black tulip. Seriously: the Royal Horticultural Association of Holland has recognized over 3,000 different cultivated tulip varieties. The colors are ranging from deep maroon to white-and-green striped. But have you ever heard about black tulips?
The Black Tulip Story
There is one color tulip you probably won’t find: a black one. In the story The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas a 100,000 florin reward (in present day dollars, that’s quite a big prize!) is offered to the first person in the city of Haarlem, Netherlands to grow a truly black tulip. In the story, the black tulip becomes not only symbol for justice and tolerance, but also a symbol for divine love between two people. No one ends up finding the secret to producing the elusive flower, and black tulips remain undocumented in the real world, as well.
Perhaps black tulips symbolize something that can never exist…better to stick with one of the below colors:
- White and Cream
- Multicolored or Variegated
- Pink
- Orange
- Yellow
- Purple
Remember, flowers speak in colors. If you wish to send these beautiful flowers to someone special, be sure to know which color to choose:
White and Cream tulips symbolize heaven, newness and purity:
Multicolored or Variegated tulips mean “you have beautiful eyes”:
Pink tulips invoke thoughts of affection and caring:
Red tulips mean “believe me” or proclaim of true love:
Orange tulips symbolize energy, enthusiasm, desire, and passion:
Yellow tulips are meant to compliment the recipient on “a sunny smile” or evoke feelings of cheerfulness:
Purple tulips symbolize royalty:
Now that you’ve mastered the colors of tulips, hurry up and surprise your loved ones by sending them the prettiest bouquet. Psst… you can even choose to combine all these stunning colors into an arrangement of spring tulips!
To find out more about the world of flowers, jump over to BloomNation blog.