Tulips with delivery in Bogota: varieties, Dutch imports, and freshness from the supply
The tulip is the most "springlike" flower in floristry and second in recognition only to the rose. A clean goblet shape, quiet elegance, thousands of Dutch-bred varieties. In Bogotá the tulip isn't grown: it needs cold winters the tropics don't provide. So here it is an imported category — the buds fly in from the Netherlands, the world capital of the tulip. The cool plateau climate, though, works in the tulip's favour: in the capital it holds longer than in hot cities.
The category gathers single-variety bouquets, kraft-wrapped armfuls, boxed arrangements, and combinations with ranunculus, hyacinths, and narcissi. Supply is strongest in the Dutch season — roughly December through April, when the choice of varieties and colours is widest and the price steadiest.
Groups and varieties in the catalogue
More than 3,000 tulip varieties are registered worldwide. Around 30–40 key ones reach the shelf, split into groups by bud shape, stem length, and flowering time.
- Triumph — the classic cup-shaped bud, stem 40–50 cm. The most widespread group. Varieties: Strong Gold (yellow), Negrita (purple), Ile de France (red).
- Darwin Hybrids — large-headed, up to 12 cm across. Apeldoorn (scarlet), Ivory Floradale (cream). For voluminous bouquets.
- French Tulips — long-stemmed tulips up to 70 cm. Maureen (white), Menton (soft pink). For wedding floristry.
- Parrot — parrot tulips with fringed, "torn" petals. Rococo (red), Blue Parrot (purple). For dramatic arrangements.
- Double / Peony — double "peony-flowered" tulips. Mount Tacoma (white), Foxtrot (pink). An alternative to peonies, which are scarce in Bogotá.
- Queen of Night — an almost-black purple, a legend of a variety in its own right. For a gothic or vintage palette.
Season and occasions
Tulip supply to Bogotá follows the Dutch calendar: the peak runs roughly from December to April. In these months the flower is at its freshest and most affordable, and it falls neatly on Día de los Enamorados, 14 February, and Día de la Mujer, 8 March — two occasions for which the tulip is the first to sell out.
The tulip needs cool nights, and here Bogotá differs sharply from the warm capitals of the region: at 2,600 metres the temperature stays low year-round. The bud doesn't "go soft" from heat as it would on the lowland plain, and keeping it cold in transit is easier. It is a rare case where the local climate works for an imported flower.
A tulip's quirk: it keeps growing
A cut tulip remains a living plant — the stem keeps growing in the vase by 2–3 cm over the first 2–3 days. This is a rare trait among cut flowers, and it has to be taken into account when assembling an arrangement.
Because of this, tulips change the shape of the bouquet every day. By the end of the week they bend toward the light source — that is normal and beautiful, not a defect. To keep an even shape, stand the bouquet in a tall, narrow vase that holds the stems upright.
"The tulip is the most honest flower on sale. It doesn't pretend to be fresh. Held a stem in your hand — soft, warm? Then the bouquet is on its final stage. A fresh tulip is firm in the hand, cool, almost 'ringing' to the touch."
— Catalina Moreno, florist with 12 years of experience
Freshness and logistics
A fresh tulip shows by several signs: a firm stem, a tightly closed coloured bud, leaves without yellow spots, and no wilted edges. Tulips arrive from the Netherlands in closed buds and move through the city's flower wholesale trade; ripening happens at the recipient's home.
We move tulips in cold hydroboxes: the stems stay in water at +6–8°C until delivery, and the bud keeps its firmness. On rainy days we add protective packaging so the box doesn't get soaked. Until assembly, bouquets are kept in cold storage at +4–6°C.
Delivery specifics
Bogotá's climate is high-altitude and cool year-round: +18…+20°C by day, down to +6…+9°C at night, with no hot season. For the tulip this is close to ideal. The year splits into two rainy periods (April–May and October–November) and two drier ones; in delivery the key is shielding the bouquet from a downpour, not from heat.
We cover all the key districts: Usaquén, Chapinero, Chicó, Rosales, Teusaquillo, La Candelaria, Cedritos, Zona Rosa, Parque de la 93, and Salitre. Prices in the catalogue are in Colombian pesos (COP, $), paid by card online. For Día de los Enamorados and Día de la Mujer, place the order 3–4 days ahead — peak dates sell out fast.
Care at home
A tulip is handled differently from roses and peonies. The main rules: only cold water at +6–10°C, refreshing the cut with a straight (not angled) knife every 2 days, and a minimum of water in the vase (5–7 cm from the bottom). The tulip won't tolerate deep water — the stems rot.
Don't place them next to narcissi or hyacinths — their sap speeds tulip ageing by 30–40%. If you want such an arrangement, hold the narcissi separately for 24 hours, rinse the stems, and only then add them to the shared bouquet.
In cool Bogotá the tulip is comfortable, yet still protect it from direct midday sun through the window and from dry air in the dry season. Stand the bouquet in the coolest room, away from an electric heater if one is used on cold nights. Fresh cold water and shade are all the tulip needs in Bogota to hold longer.
