There are over 100 species of tulips and
many hundreds of hybrids.
Most modern garden
tulips are the result of extensive breeding
programmes that began in the late sixteenth
century in Europe and are continuing to
this day.
Tulips were all the rage at that
time as more and more species were introduced
to Europe from Turkey, Iran and central
Asia.
Tulips can grow up to anything from 15cm to 60cm.