Over the last five years, Molina Culver, the proprietor of Molly Oliver Flowers in Brooklyn, has been waging a subdued campaign against the traditional flower of Valentine’s Day—the rose. With its signature red hue, layers, and thorny yet velvety texture, countless roses are imported from abroad and sold for this annual celebration of love. However, Ms. Culver is part of a growing group of florists and flower lovers suggesting we consider a different option: tulips.
According to the National Retail Federation, U.S. consumers are expected to shell out nearly $3 billion on flowers for this holiday. While the majority of this amount will likely go toward roses, tulips have been quietly stepping into the spotlight in recent years as a fresh and environmentally friendly alternative. Meenakshi Lala, the CEO of UrbanStems, an online flower delivery service, noted that the rising interest in tulips during February is gaining traction rapidly.
Since UrbanStems introduced tulips as a Valentine’s Day option in 2021, they’ve seen demand soar. This year, they anticipate selling twice as many tulips for Valentine’s Day compared to last year.
“We’re preparing to fulfill around 4,000 tulip orders this Valentine’s period,” Lala mentioned, indicating that this period typically spans six to seven days. While this figure pales in comparison to the 1.8 million rose stems the company expects to sell, it’s important to note this isn’t a fair comparison. UrbanStems curates rose designs with varied pricing and arrangements, akin to an artist using different shades of paint. In contrast, tulip offerings focus on premium blooms.
Tulips usually come with a lower price tag than roses. For example, on the eve of Valentine’s Day, a Trader Joe’s in New York priced a bouquet of 20 tulips at $12.99, while a dozen roses cost $14.99. At POSY, a floral design studio in New York City, an arrangement featuring 30 tulips costs $100, whereas 24 red roses are priced at $175. The affordability of tulips could be linked to their appeal beyond Valentine’s Day, as they are the most-purchased flower in the United States.
Florists seem to welcome the tulip trend during Valentine’s Day for both their beauty and environmental benefits. Unlike roses, tulips exhibit fascinating behavior even after being cut; they continue to grow and adjust themselves in the vase, following the sun and adapting to their container’s shape, unfolding in a unique dance. Ms. Culver captures this magic, saying she watches tulips until the final petal falls.
Tulips, much like red roses, carry their own rich symbolism. In the language of flowers used in Victorian times, tulips represented passion. As per the Society of American Florists, each color of tulip stands for something different—pink for caring, purple for royalty, and red for a fervent declaration of love. These varied meanings have broadened the appeal of tulips for Valentine’s Day, which now celebrates not just romantic love but affection for friends, family, and even pets. Andrew Miller from Tulip Valley Farms in Washington State noted that roses traditionally symbolize romance, while tulips can embody whatever meaning we choose to assign them. “I can gift tulips to a buddy with whom I go hunting,” he joked.
Allan Visser, a seasoned tulip farmer from the Netherlands, appreciates several benefits of tulips. They come in an array of colors and shapes and are more sustainable, offering quicker growth and requiring less energy than roses. The demand for tulips is climbing, Mr. Visser observed, with more bulbs making their way from the Netherlands to the U.S. each year for holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Easter.
Tulips are appreciated mainly for their aesthetic, said Ibo Gülsen, a prominent figure in tulip promotion worldwide. Gülsen highlighted that while the Dutch are now acclaimed for their tulip expertise, it was the Ottoman Empire that originally set the standards for tulip appreciation.
These flowers, Gülsen continued, have symbolized the beginning of cycles, fertility, and spring—a fitting tribute to the ancient Roman origins of Valentine’s Day. Dorothy Smith, 34, who invests significantly in a flower subscription, shared how these blossoms brightened her week, especially during an emotionally challenging period following her divorce.
“This week’s special tulips really excited me,” she shared, contemplating taking her tulips, artistically arranged in pottery she crafted herself, to a “Galentine’s Day” event for her female friends. “I wish I had more tulips to share; they feel almost like sculptures, more unique to me than a red rose.”
Southside Blooms, a Chicago-based floral nonprofit known for eco-friendly practices, has been embracing tulips for Valentine’s Day for a few years now. Natalie Ransom, their event chief, mentioned how they’ve increased tulip cultivation to meet rising demand. This year, they’re growing 30,000 tulips, expecting to use over 1,000 for Valentine’s Day alone.
“It’s a delightful spring flower,” Ransom concluded, “especially in this chilly, rather gray time of year.”
