A Guide to Tulips in Keukenhof

Every year, people from all over the world visit the floral paradise known as Keukenhof. In spring, it is filled with millions of tulips in all kinds of colours, shapes and sizes. Tulips are not just flowers; there is much more to them than that. In this blog, we would like to share some interesting facts that you may or may not know about this typical spring flower.

A national symbol

When searching for images of the Netherlands, tulips are one of the things you will encounter. Although it is the country's national flower, you may be surprised to learn that the tulip does not originate here! This may come unexpectedly, given that tulips grow here in large quantities and are an important export product for the Netherlands. Nowadays, the Netherlands exports 2.5 billion tulips every year. In addition, Keukenhof is one of the most visited attractions, with more than 1.4 million visitors in 2025. 

You may be wondering where the tulip actually comes from, and the answer to your question is Turkey! In the 16th century, the tulip arrived in Europe via trade routes, and during the Golden Age, its popularity grew rapidly in the Netherlands. Between 1630 and 1637, there was even a tulip mania, with some tulip bulbs worth more than a canal house on the Herengracht in Amsterdam. Since then, the tulip has been an indispensable part of Dutch culture. Long ago, the flower was cultivated in Haarlem. Since the 19th century, this has been done in the Bollenstreek region, and since the 20th century also in the west of Friesland and the north of North Holland. 

Preparing Keukenhof for spring

This type of flower is so beautiful that we want to admire it all year round. Unfortunately, they only grow in the spring, but that makes these flowers even more special! To ensure that Keukenhof is filled with all those beautiful tulips, the bulbs are planted between October and December. 50 gardeners at Keukenhof plant more than 7 million tulip bulbs together, they do this by hand, without the use of machines. 

Tulip blooming times explained

Did you know that tulips bloom at different times in spring? The earliest tulips, also known as single tulips, begin to bloom in late March and early April. Mid-early varieties bloom between April and May, while late tulips appear at the end of the season in May. By planting a mix of tulip varieties, growers can slightly extend the flowering period. Interestingly, tulips are intended to bloom only once, as intended by the grower. Any subsequent blooms are a surprise.

150 different types of tulips

Tulips have been cultivated for centuries, resulting in approximately 150 different species and 3,000 varieties worldwide, divided into 15 different groups. Growers continue to cultivate tulips, resulting in new species being created all the time. It is interesting to note that it can take 20 years before a tulip is available for purchase in shops. Below, we would like to share some of our favourite tulip species with you:

Single tulips

These are tulips with single petals, hence the name. With their narrow heads and long stems, they are very elegant tulips. They bloom in late March or early May and are truly the classics amongst tulips. A popular single tulip is the Apricot Beauty, which has the colours salmon pink and apricot. 

Double tulips 

This type of tulip have multiple petals and are therefore full flowers. You could compare them to roses, because they also have many petals. Double tulips bloom halfway through or towards the end of the flowering period. A beautiful double tulip is the Blue Diamond, which is actually purple in colour.

Parakeet tulips

These are special tulips because you don't come across them very often. This tulip variety is smaller than the other varieties and also has a few petals. But what makes this parakeet tulip so unique are its curled petals and colour combinations. A beautiful tulip in this variety is the Estella Rijnveld, which has red, dark pink and white colours. The parakeet tulip originated when a wild tulip spontaneously mutated. The name of this special tulip is based on the birds of the same name.

Fringed tulips 

The petals of fringed tulips are fringed or serrated. These are often single tulips, but sometimes they also have double petals and come in red, yellow, pink and white, as well as combinations of these colours. The Brisbane is a fringed tulip that is both pink and yellow.

Peony tulips 

Like the peony rose, the peony tulip has many large petals, this makes it a double tulip. These are full and round versions of the tulip that bloom in late April and May. As soon as the sun shines on the peony tulips, they open fully, creating a beautiful display. One of the most popular peony tulips is La Belle Époque, which has a warm brownish and pink colour.

What your tulip bouquet really means

Tulips come in different colours: red, pink, orange, yellow, white, blue and many more, and all these colours symbolise something. So when you receive a bouquet of tulips from someone, there is a meaning behind it! We are happy to explain what each colour symbolises.

• Red tulips: love, loyalty and friendship.
• Yellow tulips: warmth, cheerfulness and fun.
• Pink tulips: happiness, beauty and elegance
• Purple tulips: royal dignity, tranquility and spirituality.
• Orange tulips: the Netherlands, energy and enthusiasm.
• Blue tulips: tranquility, peace and wisdom

Visit Keukenhof 2027

We hope these fun facts have given you more insight into the national flower of the Netherlands. Tulips are such beautiful flowers, and we understand that you would like to admire them up close. You can do so at Keukenhof between 18 March and 9 May 2027. Buy your tickets in advance!