Tulips

Not a flower we think of often in New Zealand. But it is actually big business here. In 2006 exports of bulbs alone were worth NZ$6.6 million. Strangely enough, NZ exports tulip bulbs back to the Netherlands.

This is mainly driven by large Dutch companies such as Haakman, aiming to supply international customers year-round. New Zealand-produced bulbs are used to fill the gap in northern hemisphere production for early and late supply. Tulip production is based in Tapanui, Southland.

So if you receive tulips between October and January, there’s a pretty good bet they come from New Zealand.  Image of NZ tulip fields by Southland Times via Te Ara.

More beautiful tulip images at Istanbul Tulip Festival