Why Tulips Conquered the Netherlands (and Never Left)

With each returning spring, the Netherlands bursts into color. Tulips flood the fields, line the canals, and brighten the city streets, transforming the Dutch landscape into a living painting. Row after row of red, pink, yellow, and purple stretches to the horizon, creating a scene so striking that it feels almost surreal. It’s a scene that attracts millions of visitors every year—and one that has become inextricably linked to Dutch identity. It’s hard to imagine the Netherlands without the tulip as a national icon, because the story goes deeper than postcard-perfect beauty.