Tulip, a herbaceous plant belonging to the lily family, is native to the Mediterranean coast. Its bulb is oval-shaped with papery skin, sparsely covered with downy hairs at the top and base.

The leaves are lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate. The large and vibrant flowers, blooming singly at the top, have petals that are red or mixed with white and yellow. The stamens are hairless, lacking styles, with crest-shaped stigmas. Tulips bloom from April to May.

Tulips were first introduced to the Netherlands, a well-known exporter, in the late 16th century. A Dutch merchant named Clusius received a whole shipment of bulbs from Istanbul in Belgium, which were then transported to the Netherlands via the Flanders region. In the spring of 1594, beautiful tulip flowers bloomed for the first time in the Hortus Botanicus Leiden in the Netherlands.

Due to the excellent and moist climate of the Netherlands, similar to the native environment of tulips during winter and spring, and possessing the world's largest financial market at the time, tulip cultivation quickly succeeded on a large scale, leading to a phenomenon known as "tulip mania" and eventually causing an economic crisis. This feat quickly established the country as the world's most extensive tulip bulb production base and tulip breeding center for high-quality varieties.

In 1577, tulips were introduced to England from Austria. In 1629, the renowned horticulturist John Parkinson provided the first comprehensive evaluation of tulips cultivated in England in a floral cultivation work, listing 140 varieties. In the 17th century, tulips rapidly developed in England, the Netherlands, the Flanders region of Belgium, and northern France.

The first cultivation climax occurred between 1634 and 1637, giving rise to many breeders. Double-flowered tulips appeared in 1665, further popularizing cultivation, and tulip bulbs became "valuable securities" for trade. In the 18th century, the second cultivation peak occurred between 1733 and 1734.

By the 19th century, the discovery of some wild species greatly enriched the horticultural varieties of tulips, with as many as 38 excellent varieties. In 1849, the Royal Tulip Society of England was established. In the early 20th century, the tulip industry in the Netherlands experienced rapid development.

Through the hard work of several generations, the Netherlands became the world's center for tulip variety breeding, propagation, production, and sales, becoming a pillar industry of the country. The people of the Netherlands regard tulips as their national flower, leading to a resurgence in cultivation fever, with new varieties emerging constantly.

While roses are widely known as symbols of love, in the Netherlands, there is also a romantic legend about tulips. In ancient Europe, a beautiful princess lived in a castle, and three handsome knights fell in love with her. The three knights began to woo her to win her favor. One of them gave her a crown, another a sword, and the third one gold.

The princess was very distressed and didn't know how to choose, as all three men were outstanding. She sought help from the god of flowers. The god transformed her into a tulip, with the crown becoming a flower bud, the sword turning into leaves, and the gold becoming a bulb.

In this way, she accepted the love of the three knights simultaneously, and the tulip became an embodiment of love. Because the crown represents supreme status, the sword symbolizes power, and having gold signifies wealth, only nobles and elites in ancient Europe were qualified to cultivate tulips.

In conclusion, the tulip, with its rich history and romantic allure, remains a timeless symbol of beauty and love.