The tulip has never meant just one thing.

At first glance, it is simply a striking flower — upright, vivid, unmistakable. Yet in art, its meaning has shifted over time and across places. As it moved through courts, gardens, and studios, artists reframed it again and again.

In different contexts, the tulip becomes ornament, specimen, possession, or atmosphere.

A haunting and emotional poem, in which tulips are personified and given such a powerful and central presence that they function almost like characters.

Does the penny trick really stop tulips from drooping?

As far as tulip festivals go, bigger is better. These are the greatest, from the tulip fields of Skagit Valley, Washington to the palaces and parks of Istanbul.

Feed your love of tulips with this edible tulip dessert!