Walking through the welcome center with bowls of organic yellow tulip petals and not an empty chair, a chorus of chatter stops. The audience begins curiously listening to Chad Miller, who excitedly waves his hands to his pictures of flourishing tulips as he delves into the complex yet beautiful history of the tulip.
On March 12, Miller presented the third Ram Talk of the semester on “Tiptoeing Through the Tulips: Exploring a Colorful History,” focusing a deeper lens on the historic presence of the tulip and how it grew more prominent in art and nature. Like with previous conversations in the Ram Talks series, the discussion encourages Colorado State University faculty and researchers along with people in the community to connect with locals through their everyday work.
“We’re always trying to find these nuggets that we think will really resonate with the people of Fort Collins in the community,” said Kyle Henley, CSU’s vice president for marketing and communications.
An associate professor in the horticulture and landscape architecture department at CSU, Miller also serves as the Director for the CSU Annual Flower Trial Gardens. Much of his courses, research and extension programs are dedicated toward strengthening the sustainability of plant species and environmentally conscious plant selections.
During his talk, Miller discussed tulips across history to present day and the flower’s presence within Fort Collins, specifically as a part of the Trial Gardens. Tulips are primarily native to the Mediterranean or Central Asia, with around 100 species growing frequently in the Tian Shan region.
After presenting where tulips are native to, Miller delved deeper into where the interest for this bulbed flower piqued. One of the earliest cultivation of tulips was in the ninth century in Central Asia. Miller’s research showed that the early Turkish nomadic warriors and traders brought some of the bulbs to their gardens, growing people’s interest in the flower.
One major point in history was the development of the Ottoman Empire, when Süleyman the Magnificent became rather fascinated by tulips. Miller explained how Süleyman pushed the development of tulips to become somewhat of a status marker, leading to the Ottoman Empire’s dedication to producing unique species, like the tulipa acuminata.
“Species like the tulip acuminata would be more of the form that the Turks and the folks in the Ottoman Empire were working at, looking at and developing,” Miller said. “(Tulips) became a symbol of power and wealth.”
Tulips have traversed across multiple regions, from the Ottoman Empire and Turkey to the Netherlands and Western Europe. Each of these areas maintained unique visibility, leading to several scientific publications of the tulip along with writings and artistic depictions. Miller showcased one particular drawing made by Conrad Gesner from 1561, highlighting the formal documentation of tulips in Western Europe.
“I want people to take away from this that the tulip has a great history and a great story. It’s still a very popular plant and something that everybody seems to be able to relate to with its powerful visibility. I think knowing a little bit more about it can help them appreciate the tulip more and the environment around them.” -Chad Miller, horticulture associate professor
One of the most relevant periods for tulips was tulip mania, when the flower emerged to be a popular export; the tulip market subsequently skyrocketed. Tulip mania reached its height between 1634 and 1636 in the Netherlands when broken tulips — color variations on tulip petals — like the Semper Augustus, led to a frenzy of bidding and the flowers reaching incredibly high prices.
“Tulip mania was the model for how to learn about speculation and markets,” Miller said.
Tulips with broken petals were initially seen as valuable, but research soon realized that this visually highlighted a virus. Mycologist Dorothy Cayley discovered the tulip breaking virus in 1928, influencing the market value of tulips.
“The virus alters the gene expression for the mental cyan, or the color pigment, so these cells would keep developing elongating or developing colorless,” Miller said. “That’s why all of them are quite unique.”
His concluding thoughts revolved around different gardens and facilities that exist to identify a range of flowers, particularly tulips across the world. There has been significant progression in tulip cultivation regarding technological advancements, museums, parades, complex breeding aspects and the Trial Gardens.
“Enjoy the plant materials and the environment we have around us, and appreciate that we have that,” Miller said.
Cienna Tonini, a horticulture graduate student, came to support Miller, who serves as her adviser. She hoped to gain more knowledge about tulips and the versatility of the flower in multiple contexts.
“I thought it was really neat learning about the cuisines and the ways you can cook tulips and bulbs,” Tonini said. “I didn’t know there was so many options, so it was really interesting learning about all of this.”
During the preparation process, Miller was excited to have learned more about tulips, from the breaking virus to the multiple cookbooks available.
“I want people to take away from this that the tulip has a great history and a great story. It’s still a very popular plant and something that everybody seems to be able to relate to with its powerful visibility,” Miller said. “I think knowing a little bit more about it can help them appreciate the tulip more and the environment around them.”
Henley demonstrated appreciation for how Miller facilitated a conversation on a subject that is not widely known abo0ut within Fort Collins.
“You come away with a greater appreciation for something that is beautiful but we may initially think is mundane,” Henley said. “When we understand the history, the physiology and what’s behind it, it changes the way that we perceive it.”
Reach Sananda Chandy science@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.
