The soldiers in the army of an Egyptian Pharaoh over 3,500 years ago were the first known plant collectors in history.
Tulips have an intricate history starting in 500 BC. The flower symbolised immortality, life and love. In the Seventeenth Century the bulbs of tulips were worth more than precious metals like gold.
Lilies are presumed to have originated from the Far East and are one of the oldest plants known.
Some very rare plants only flower once in their lives. The Puya raimondii which is found in the Andes waits 150 years before flowering and consequently dying.
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The height of the tulip bubble in Holland was reached in the winter of 1636-37. When it burst there was an economic crisis similar to the dot.com and real estate bubbles of recent years.
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