Tulip
FillerAll seasons
The tulip is a spring flower whose sleek, cup-shaped bloom rises tidily, one to a straight stem. Six petals fold over one another like cupped hands to form a rounded goblet that opens in the morning and closes again at dusk, a living rhythm all its own. It comes from the grassland steppes of Central Asia, won wide affection as it passed through the Ottoman Empire, and takes its name — so the story goes — from an old word for turban, since a furled bud resembles the cloth wound around the head. In 17th-century Holland it became the star of the tulip mania, when a single bulb could trade for the price of a house, and from there it spread across Europe; today it is the definitive flower of spring and the emblem of the Netherlands. Its colors and markings are so varied that this one flower alone can fill a spring garden with brightness.
The story of its meaning
The Orange Tulip means "A confession of love". Each color of tulip holds a different heart: the pink tulip means "The beginning of love", the yellow "A bright smile", and the white "A new beginning" — as though the stages of a love first budding and then edging cautiously toward a confession had each been given a color. Beneath these meanings, it is said, lies an old Persian folk tale. In the legend a young man who had lost the one he loved shed tears that fell to the earth and sprang up as red tulips, and so the tulip came to be read as a symbol of a love both upright and ardent. It is only natural, then, that red and orange tulips in particular stand for confession and passion. As the color lightens the meaning grows lighter too — yellow for a bright smile, pink for a fluttering start, white for a heart that closes the past and steps toward something new. So choosing the color of a bunch of tulips becomes, in itself, choosing the feeling you want to send.
Meanings by color
- Orange TulipA confession of love
- Pink TulipThe beginning of love
- Yellow TulipA bright smile
- White TulipA new beginning
When to gift it
If a confession lies ahead and you want to carry your heart across, choose the Orange Tulip that means "A confession of love" — few flowers do better at speaking the flutter that words leave unsaid. For a bond that has only just begun to share its feelings, the Pink Tulip and its "The beginning of love" fits well, while for cheering on a fresh start the White Tulip that means "A new beginning" is just right — its meaning glows quietly at moments that open a new chapter, like a first day of school, an opening, or a move. For a Graduation bouquet meant to celebrate with bright spirits, gather Yellow Tulips and their "A bright smile" and the very air of spring comes through. Because a tulip changes its message with nothing more than a change of color, it is a gift with the pleasure of matching the shade to the person and the occasion. By season it suits a springtime greeting best — a bouquet fit to open wide a heart shut tight through winter.
Pairing tips
As a filler, the tulip fills the spaces between round mains like Roses and Gerberas and sets up a rhythm. Its straight stem and sleek cup give it a grain unlike the flowers around it, so tucked in here and there it lends the bouquet a light, buoyant flow. When matching colors, grouping like temperatures together is the safest choice. Set orange and yellow tulips beside warm-toned flowers such as Sunflowers and Gerberas for a bright spring bouquet, or let Pink Tulips blend in analogous harmony with pink roses and ranunculus for a softer impression. White Tulips slip in anywhere regardless of color; tie them plainly with White Ranunculus or Baby's Breath for a clean, composed bunch. Back the greenery with long, trailing foliage to bring out the line of those straight stems, and rather than reaching for many colors, choose just one or two to keep the tulip's tidy grain — that is the way to finish a bouquet that feels crisp and fresh.