April is tulip month in the Hortus! The tulip is always associated with the Netherlands, although its area of origin is far away from here. The Dutch have been cultivated the most special specimens for centuries. Resulting in thousands of variants; in all sizes, shapes and colours. At the Hortus, these modern variants stand next to their wild ancestors from the mountains of Kazakhstan.
Are you coming by for a tulip walk?
The modern tulip we see at the Amsterdam Flower Market shows little resemblance to its wild ancestors. The latter are small, modest flowers that bloom in early spring before the hot, dry summers begin. But seen side by side at the Hortus, they are both equally beautiful.
In the garden, there are 40 wild and cultivated varieties on display, including the only native Dutch wild tulip, Tulipa sylvestris. Also featured is the oldest cultivar (1620), Tulipa ‘Lac van Rijn,’ and the small, slender Tulipa clusiana, which originally grows on mountain hills from Turkey to Pakistan.
Tulips bloom in the Netherlands in April, depending on the weather.