The crocuses are blooming and tulips are on the way.

(Wiki) Tulips are spring-blooming perennials that grow from bulbs. Depending on the species, tulip plants can grow as short as 4 inches (10 cm) or as high as 28 inches (71 cm).

Most tulips produce only one flower per stem, but a few species have up to four flowers. The colorful and attractive, cup-shaped flower has three petals and three sepals, which are often termed tepals because they are nearly identical. These six tepals are often marked near the bases with darker colorings.

Tulips are indigenous to mountainous areas with temperate climates and need a period of cool dormancy. They do best in climates with long, cool springs and early summers.

Commercial cultivation of the flower began in the Ottoman Empire. The tulip, or lale (from Persian لاله, lâleh) as it is also called in Iran and Turkey, is a flower indigenous to a vast area encompassing parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Holland is the main producer of commercially sold plants, producing as many as 3 billion bulbs annually.

Washington’s Skagit Valley Tulip Festival: HERE

h/t: Pete