As spring arrives, many people eagerly anticipate buying colourful tulip bouquets, but rising prices are likely to dampen their enthusiasm.
A spokeswoman for major flower retailer Blume 2000 in Germany reported that a 10-stem bunch of tulips now costs about €1 ($1.09) more than last year, with some varieties seeing price increases of 30% to 50%.
Despite the higher prices, the quality of the tulips has reportedly decreased, and supermarket chain Rewe has reported similar difficulties.
The price increase is mainly due to poor harvests. Industry experts explain that the last two years of wet weather and frost have hampered tulip bulb growth.
Consequently, only 70% to 80% of the usual supply is available, leading to higher prices.
At retailers such as Blume 2000 and Blumen Risse in Germany, tulip bunches are currently priced at about €4.99, with premium varieties like parrot tulips costing up to €7.99.
In a Rewe supermarket in Dusseldorf, tulips are available for €4.79. Prices vary depending on the region and variety and the number of stems per bunch can range from seven to 10.
Some retailers also note that they are not passing the full price increase on to customers.
Germany is largest importer of Dutch tulips
Tulips are typically available from mid-January to July, with most of the bulbs and cut flowers sold in Germany coming from the Netherlands.
Tulip cultivation is the largest segment of flower and bulb farming there, covering over half of the country’s 28,000 hectares of flower fields.
Dutch traders export around 10 billion tulips annually to markets worldwide, including Germany, which is their largest customer.
Mark-Jan Terwindt, director of the flower bulb trade association Royal Anthos, noted that tulip harvests this year are significantly lower than in previous years.
However, traders are not expecting a major downturn. In January 2025, Dutch flower and plant exports rose by 7% compared to the previous year.
Why are tulips are so popular?
According to Nicola Fink from the Association of German Florists, tulips symbolize the arrival of spring, offering much-needed colour after the winter months.
“In the dark winter months and at the start of the new year, people crave colour which is why tulips are so popular,” she said.
In addition to tulips, other spring flowers like daffodils and hyacinths have also faced poor harvests, though these varieties are generally less sensitive to weather conditions.
In recent years, prices for cut flowers in Germany have risen significantly. The Federal Statistical Office, or Destatis, reports that consumers paid 31.3% more for flowers in 2024 than they did in 2020.
