On Saturday, January 17, 2026, the annual National Tulip Day was celebrated in Amsterdam. With a large picking garden on Museumplein, this day traditionally marks the start of the Dutch tulip season. Visitors are allowed to pick a bouquet of tulips for free and celebrate together the return of an iconic, seasonal product.
Although Tulip Day is intended to celebrate the tulip, there is also criticism from NGOs and politicians. This criticism mainly focuses on the use of crop protection products and the environmental impact of ornamental cultivation. The sector deliberately chooses to communicate openly and transparently about this.
An important point of attention is preventing resistance. When one product is used too often, it loses its effectiveness. By alternating multiple products, growers can actually prevent increasingly larger quantities from being needed. In practice, this leads to less and more targeted use.
An important point of attention is preventing resistance. When one product is used too often, it loses its effectiveness. By alternating multiple products, growers can actually prevent increasingly larger quantities from being needed. In practice, this leads to less and more targeted use.
This means:
early detection of diseases and pests (scouting)
deployment of natural enemies such as predatory insects
use of products of natural origin
and only as a last resort chemical crop protection products
All chemical products that are still permitted have been strictly assessed and approved by the Board for the Authorization of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (Ctgb). Many products with a high impact on humans and nature have been banned within the EU in recent years.
According to both the Ctgb and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), there are no health risks for consumers with normal use of flowers. Any residues that are measurable remain well within safe margins and pose no danger when processing or placing tulips in the home.
In addition, many tulip growers are certified (including MPS and GlobalG.A.P.), where they are periodically assessed on product use, environmental impact and transparency.
Another recurring point of criticism is the CO₂ footprint of tulips, particularly due to the heat required during forcing. While natural gas was mainly used in the past, growers are increasingly investing in sustainable energy sources, such as:
solar panels
residual heat
and in some regions geothermal energy
Not every grower can immediately switch completely to this, partly due to costs and grid capacity. Nevertheless, the total climate impact of tulips is relatively low. Tulips only need a few weeks of heat; most of the cultivation period the bulbs are stored cold. In addition, tulips are:
a local product
a seasonal flower
and do not need to be transported by air
Life cycle analyses show that a locally grown tulip bouquet has an average CO₂ footprint of approximately 0.7 kg CO₂ equivalent, which is classified by Milieu Centraal as low compared to many other flowers and consumer products.
Precisely to strengthen trust, during Tulip Day 2026 the sector invited PAN Netherlands and the Party for the Animals to be present during the sampling of the tulips that are distributed. The results of these residue tests are shared, so that it becomes visible how carefully and responsibly Dutch tulips are grown.
The Netherlands is the world market leader with a production of approximately 3 billion tulips per year. The sector continuously invests in innovation, sustainability and transparency.
For florists, this means they can choose Dutch tulips with confidence: a product that stands for quality, safety, craftsmanship and continuous improvement.
