herbal treasure chest: tulips

tulip (tulipa gesneriana)

how to grow

To grow tulips it is best to get bulbs and put them in the soil in the fall or early spring. In colder regions some people dig them out every spring after their bloom and only put them back in the earth in the next spring as soon as the soil is not frozen anymore. No matter how you do it in spring you will see the beautiful flowers. If the conditions are right you will get more every year. But otherwise, for example if you grow them in acidic soil, too close to a conifer tree for example, their number will get smaller and smaller.
Tulips are not the first but still among the early plants that come out after the winter in our garden. Here in my US hardy zone 5 garden they usually bloom in May.

tulip

uses and medicinal properties

Tulips were the subject of one of the first financial bubbles. Just search for tulip mania to find out more. They are mostly used for decoration but the bulbs are edible. The bulbs can be dried and ground and mixed into cereals, bread and other food.
Poultices (a paste directly put on the skin) can be made to relieve skin irritations or to calm insect bites.
According to the wellnessmama.com website tulips are also sometimes grown inside to remove toxins like formaldehyde, xylene and ammonia from the atmosphere. tulip

cautions and possible side effects

While the bulbs are said to be edible they are still poisonous when eaten in bigger quantities.

tulip (tulipa gesneriana)

how to grow

uses and medicinal properties

cautions and possible side effects

further reading