Our Plants

Tulips are native to Central Asia, especially the Tien Shan Mountains in areas now part of Kazakhstan. They were first cultivated in Persia and beloved by the Ottoman Empire, where the sultans bred them into dazzling forms. The flower was introduced to Europe in the 1500s, and then in the 1630s, the Netherlands went wild for tulips during a phenomenon called Tulip Mania.  At the height of the craze, a single bulb of a rare variety could cost more than a house in Amsterdam. Some people sold everything they had—land, livestock, even dowries—to invest in tulip bulbs. The market crashed in 1637, making it one of the first recorded economic bubbles in history. Still, the Netherlands never fell out of love with tulips, and the country remains the world's largest exporter of the bulbs today. 

Cercis canadensis is native to eastern North America, ranging from the Midwest to the southeastern United States. One of the most notable features of the eastern redbud is its vibrant pink to purple flowers that bloom in early spring, before the leaves appear. Flowers grow directly on the branches and the trunk, which is called cauliflory. Redbuds are a great tree for attracting wildlife. The flowers provide early nectar for pollinators like bees and butterflies, and the tree’s seeds are eaten by various birds.  In Native American folklore, the redbud tree is sometimes seen as a symbol of love and new beginnings due to its bright blossoms signaling the arrival of spring.  Look for the cultivar 'Alba' as you enter Peirce's Woods!