The Black Tulip

Tulips are supposed to be bright and colorful.

After the long, dark winter months, many people look forward to the yellow daffodils and red tulips—a splash of color to cheer them up. A few weeks ago I took a photo of the tulips and daffodils in our garden. They were beautiful, radiant in red and white. But the other day, I saw some black tulips. Well, they were almost black.

Black tulips are relatively rare and are considered something special. The 1850 novel The Black Tulip, by Alexandre Dumas, was inspired by the myth of the existence of a black tulip. It is a story of a challenge to produce a pure black tulip.

The first person to do so would win a valuable prize. The story influenced generations of Dutch growers who wanted to create a black tulip.

A few almost succeeded. In 1891, a well-known breeder produced a tulip that he called La Tulipe Noire in allusion to the book by Dumas, claiming that he had won. However, the color was not truly black but more of a dark purple.

We can now find a yet darker tulip created by the horticulturist Geert Hageman in his greenhouse in a small Dutch village. He had planted thousands of tulip seeds, hoping to be able to get a perfect cross of dark varieties. As the plants grew, Hageman checked on them regularly. On a cold winter night on February 18, 1986, he spotted a small plant just starting to show a bit of color. Could this be the flower of his dreams? The next day he presented his black tulip at a flower show, where it was received with amazement.

After eleven more years, he had created enough stock to start marketing the black tulip he named Paul Scherer. Today, black tulip bulbs are available everywhere. And yet it is not perfectly black; it still has a faint purple hue.* Today is my friend’s birthday.

It should be a joyous occasion, but the bright flowers she loves were replaced by white lilies when her beloved son passed away a few weeks ago.

And now, it does not seem to be the right time for colorful flowers. Maybe it is time for black tulips. Mourning a beloved son is a challenging time.

Perhaps, right now, the beauty of black tulips is more fitting.

And just as the black tulip is not a true black, even the darkest days can hold a trace of color, a promise of better days to come.

Hannele Ottschofski

* “The Black Tulip,” Amsterdam Tulip Museum, accessed Nov. 14, 2024, https://amsterdamtulipmuseum.com/pages/the-black-tulip.