By flower · late winter and spring
Tulips: meaning, season and when to give them
The tulip is the flower of spring in Europe and the great alternative to the rose. What each color says, when it is in season and a trick to stop them drooping in the vase.
- Scientific name
- Tulipa spp.from Central Asia
- Season
- January to Aprilin Spain; August to October in the Southern Cone
- Meaning
- Sincere loveand affection depending on the color
- Vase life
- 5 to 8 dayskeeps growing after cutting
What it means to give tulips
The tulip speaks of sincere love, less solemn than that of the red rose. The color adds nuance to the message:
- Red: love and declaration, an alternative to the rose on Valentine’s Day.
- Pink: affection and happiness, ideal for friends, mothers and birthdays.
- Yellow: joy and good cheer. In the past it was associated with hopeless love; today it’s used in the yellow flowers trend.
- White: forgiveness, calm and new beginnings.
- Purple: admiration and elegance; it fits purple flowers day.
A bouquet of mixed tulips, like the one in the photo, is one of the easiest gifts to get right: it has no obligatory romantic reading and looks cheerful in any home.
When tulips are given
| Date | What is celebrated and why | Flower | Color | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| every year | Galentine’s Day It was born in 2010 in the series Parks and Recreation, when Leslie Knope celebrates her friends the day before Valentine’s Day. Social media turned it into a real plan: breakfast, shared bouquets and a group photo. | Bouquets for your friends | Pink | Worldwide, especially on social media |
| every year | International Women’s Day In Italy a sprig of mimosa has been given since 1946; in Russia and Eastern Europe tulips are typical. In Spain and Latin America 8M is above all a day of protest: if you give flowers, make them a recognition, not a substitute for listening. | Mimosa or tulips | Yellow | Italy, Russia and Eastern Europe |
| every year | Yellow flowers (northern spring) The September 21 trend doubled: with spring arriving in the northern hemisphere, Mexico adopted a second yellow flowers day. Same song, same idea, different season. | Sunflowers, tulips or yellow roses | Yellow | Mexico and Central America, and increasingly Peru |
| every year | Yellow flowers In Floricienta, the 2004 Argentine series, the heroine dreams of someone giving her yellow flowers. In September 2021 TikTok revived the song to welcome spring in the southern hemisphere, and the trend hasn’t stopped since. | Sunflowers, tulips or yellow roses | Yellow | All of Latin America · it started in Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay |
On 8M the tulip is the tradition in Russia and Eastern Europe, and on Galentine’s Day it is the flower seen most in group photos.
Tulip mania
The tulip is native to the mountains of Central Asia. The Ottomans made it a symbol of luxury and in the 16th century it reached Europe. In the 17th-century Netherlands, bulbs of the rarest varieties, with streaked petals, sold for outrageous prices. That frenzy, tulip mania, collapsed in 1637 and today it is cited as one of the first speculative bubbles in history. Ironically, those prized streaks were caused by a virus.
Today the Netherlands is still the world’s biggest producer and exports greenhouse tulips almost all year round.
Tulip season
Tulips need cold to bloom, so their natural season is late winter and spring:
- Spain: January, February, March, April.
- Mexico and Central America: out of local season (greenhouse-grown or imported).
- Argentina, Chile and Uruguay: August, September.
How to care for a bunch of tulips
- A little cold water: about 10 cm in the vase is enough. Change it every two days.
- Trim 1 or 2 cm straight or at an angle when you get home and remove the lower leaves.
- A tall, narrow vase: tulips keep growing by up to 2 or 3 cm after being cut and seek the light; a vase that holds them up stops them from sprawling.
- Turn the vase every day so they don’t all lean towards the window.
- Buy them closed: with the bud still greenish at the tip they’ll last longer.
Trick: if they’ve already drooped, wrap them tightly and straight in newspaper and leave them in cold water for a few hours; they straighten up.
Remind me 3 days before
Download the reminder and open it with your phone’s calendar: it repeats every year and alerts you three days before, so you have time to order the bouquet.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to give tulips?
In general, sincere love and affection. Red is love, pink tenderness, yellow joy, white forgiveness or new beginnings and purple admiration.
When is tulip season?
In Spain, from January to April, peaking in March. In Argentina and Chile, from August to October. The rest of the year they come from greenhouses, mainly in the Netherlands.
Why do tulips droop in the vase?
Because they keep growing and turn towards the light. Use a little cold water and a vase that supports the stems, and turn the vase every day.
Can tulips and daffodils be mixed?
Better not when freshly cut: daffodils release a sap that shortens the life of tulips. If you want to combine them, leave the daffodils on their own in water for a few hours first.
Which flower is given on March 8 in Russia?
Tulips. In Russia and Eastern Europe they are the traditional flower of International Women’s Day; in Italy it’s mimosa.
