Forcing Tulip Bulbs

I received a dozen tulip bulbs from my aunt one Christmas, and enjoyed watching them bloom indoors during the dark days of January. The dozen red and white tulips came planted in a cheery red tin container and finished with moss. Watching the stalks grow and flowers unfurl definitely brightened the winter days.

Red and white tulips in January.

Tulips originated in the old world, especially central Asia. Most of the tulips known today are hybrids, created by European gardeners starting in the 1600s from tulips imported from Turkey (but thought to have originated in southern Russia). Tulips have been commercially grown in the Netherlands for centuries, and have become part of the country’s national identity. Tulip history includes an economic bubble—called Tulip Mania—where speculative prices in the Netherlands spiked in February 1637. According to Wikipedia, some single tulip bulbs sold “for more than 10 times the annual income of a skilled craftsman.” After the inevitable crash, bulbs continued to be grown and sold around the world.

Tulipa spp. are in the Liliaceae family (the lily family), and the Lilioideae subfamily. The tulip is a perennial bulbous plant, with bright flowers in many colors including red, pink, orange, purple, yellow, and white. The bulb is tunicate, and typically planted in October for spring blooms. Forced tulip bulbs are rooted in a cool, dark place, then brought inside to bloom. Commercial growers frequently sell bulbs for forcing during November, December, and January. Deer love to eat tulips in the San Francisco Bay Area, so forcing them indoors has its advantages.