Tracing the origins of tulips: Interview with botanist Brett Wilson
The universally beloved tulips are synonymous with the Netherlands. The low-lying European country dominates the global market, producing nearly 90% of the world’s tulips. Every year, from March to May, tourists flock to tulip gardens and fields in the Dutch countryside to see the flowers in full bloom. The origins of Tulipa, however, are believed […]
Tulips, the iconic flowers associated with the Netherlands, actually hail from a much larger region in Central Asia. This revelation comes from a recent genetic analysis of wild tulips, which traced the origins of the Tulipa species back to approximately 32.5 million years ago. The research, led by botanist and conservationist Brett Wilson, also identified two key ancestors of the widely cultivated garden tulips.
Wilson, who is the co-founder of the IUCN SSC Wild Tulip Specialist Group, emphasized the importance of this study in Mongabay's interview. He highlighted that Central Asia remains the richest area in terms of wild tulip species, making it crucial to protect these habitats to prevent the loss of numerous tulip varieties.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
