By the early 1700s, it was the Turks who were importing bulbs from Holland. Sultan Ahmed III was the first to do so, but it proved a fatal attraction. Colour is the tulip's strong suit. You can get tulips in all colours except blue and true black. The tulip is actually native to Asia, but Holland is the major supplier of cut and bulb tulips today.
Tulips actually prefer mountain regions when growing wild.
Courtesy of the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center.