Where Did the Tulip Come From?

Most people probably think that the tulip came from Holland. And while it's true that Holland is now the biggest producer of tulips in the world, the flower actually came from Asia and some areas on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The first tulip didn't reach Holland until 1562!

In the 1630s, the demand for tulips was so great and the price of tulips rose so high that many Dutch farmers decided to plant these flowers instead of their ordinary crops.

Soon there were so many tulips in Holland that the price of the flower fell, and many farmers were ruined. This craze for producing tulips in Holland was known as tulipomania!

The word tulip comes from a turkish word meaning "turban," and they do look like little turbans!