Pages Menu
Categories Menu

Posted by on Feb 2, 2015 in TellMeWhy |

How Did the Tulip Get Its Name?

How Did the Tulip Get Its Name?

The tulip gets its name from the Turkish tulban (turban) because of its fancied resemblance to a turban.

Some flowers seem to speak their own names. Golden-rods standing tall in autumn appear to do this. And the milky fluid that oozes out when you break a milkweed stem clearly indicates what the plant is.

Sometimes you have to use your imagination. If you say the French words, “dent de lion,” fast enough, they sound like dandelion. These words translate into “the tooth of the lion.” The dandelion was so named because of its tooth like leaves. So now we know how did the tulip get its name?

It is believed the first tulips in the United States were grown near Spring Pond at the Fay Estate in Lynn and Salem, Massachusetts. From 1847 to 1865, Richard Sullivan Fay, Esq., one of Lynn’s wealthiest men, settled on 500 acres (2 km2; 202 ha) located partly in present-day Lynn and partly in present-day Salem.

Mr. Fay imported many different trees and plants from all parts of the world and planted them among the meadows of the Fay Estate.

Tulip petals are edible flowers. The taste varies by variety and season, and is roughly similar to lettuce or other salad greens. Some people are allergic to tulips.

Tulip bulbs look similar to onions, but should not generally be considered food. The toxicity of bulbs is not well-understood, nor is there an agreed-upon method of safely preparing them for human consumption.

There have been reports of illness when eaten, depending on quantity. During the Dutch famine of 1944–45, tulip bulbs were eaten out of desperation, and Dutch doctors provided recipes.

Content for this question contributed by Dawn Polk, resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA