The rarest tulips were sick
In the Dutch tulip craze, the most coveted flowers had vivid flame-like streaks and broken colors. That spectacular look came from the tulip breaking virus.Tulip Mania: Why the Rarest Tulips Were So Valuable
Their beauty came with a hidden cost
The same virus that made tulips look exotic also weakened the bulb’s ability to produce daughter bulbs, or new small bulbs. That made the most dramatic varieties harder to grow and even more desirable.Tulip Mania: Why the Rarest Tulips Were So Valuable
