Which flower bulbs are most common?

In 2020, Dutch farmers cultivated flower bulbs on 27.1 thousand hectares of land. Cultivation of flower bulbs in the open air in the period 2000–2014 was around 23 thousand ha. The area under cultivation increased by almost 4,000 ha in the years thereafter. This growth has ceased over the last two years. Tulips and lilies are the most commonly grown flower bulbs.

The growth of the acreage after 2015 was due to the expansion of the cultivation of lilies and tulips. The acreage of lilies increased by 1.2 thousand hectares in the period 2015–2018; the area under tulip cultivation even increased by 2.8 thousand hectares. In recent years, the area under tulip cultivation has accounted for about half of the total surface area devoted to flower bulbs. In 2020, the acreage of open-ground tulips increased to 15 thousand ha; 55 percent of the total flower bulb area. Lilies account for one-fifth of the acreage.

Fewer gladioli

The flower bulb sector has been specialising in lilies and tulips for some years now. The acreage of lilies increased from 1.1 thousand ha in 1980 to 5.3 thousand ha in 2020; the acreage of tulips increased from 6.3 thousand ha (1980) to 15 thousand ha (2020). The acreage of gladioli had decreased by two-thirds in 2020 compared to 1980; the acreage of daffodils remained at 1.5 thousand ha.

Show tableFlower bulb cultivation area (1,000 ha)Hide tableFlower bulb cultivation area (1,000 ha)

Flower bulb cultivation area (1,000 ha)

	Gladioli	Hyacinths	Irises	Lilies	Narcissi	Tulips
1980	2.4	0.8	.	1.1	1.5	6.3
1981	2.3	0.8	.	1.2	1.5	6.4
1982	2.2	0.9	.	1.4	1.5	6.2
1983	2.0	0.9	0.9	1.5	1.5	6.0
1984	2.1	0.9	1.0	1.6	1.5	6.0
1985	1.9	1.0	1.0	1.5	1.6	6.6
1986	2.2	1.0	0.9	1.5	1.6	6.8
1987	2.5	0.9	0.9	1.8	1.6	7.1
1988	2.2	0.9	0.9	2.0	1.6	7.1
1989	2.3	1.0	0.9	2.3	1.7	7.0
1990	2.0	1.0	0.8	2.4	1.7	6.8
1991	2.2	0.9	0.8	2.5	1.6	7.0
1992	2.1	0.9	0.8	2.7	1.5	7.2
1993	1.8	0.9	0.8	3.0	1.4	7.3
1994	1.9	0.9	0.7	3.1	1.3	7.5
1995	1.8	1.0	0.7	3.3	1.4	8.0
1996	1.6	1.1	0.7	3.3	1.5	8.7
1997	1.7	1.1	0.7	3.4	1.5	9.4
1998	1.9	1.2	0.7	3.8	1.6	10.0
1999	2.0	1.2	0.7	4.5	1.8	10.1
2000	1.6	1.1	0.7	5.1	1.8	9.7
2001	1.5	1.2	0.6	5.0	1.9	10.1
2002	1.5	1.2	0.7	5.1	2.0	10.6
2003	1.3	1.2	0.6	4.9	2.0	11.0
2004	1.4	1.1	0.6	4.5	1.8	11.0
2005	1.4	1.3	0.5	4.3	1.8	10.6
2006	1.3	1.3	0.5	4.9	1.9	10.4
2007	1.4	1.3	0.4	5.0	1.8	10.7
2008	1.2	1.4	0.4	5.0	2.0	11.4
2009	1.1	1.4	0.4	4.3	1.9	11.7
2010	1.1	1.4	0.3	4.7	1.8	11.4
2011	1.2	1.5	0.3	5.1	1.8	11.9
2012	1.1	1.5	0.3	5.1	1.8	11.3
2013	1.1	1.4	0.3	4.9	1.8	11.4
2014	1.0	1.5	0.3	5.2	1.7	11.4
2015	0.9	1.5	0.3	5.8	1.7	12.2
2016	0.9	1.5	0.3	6.1	1.6	13.2
2017	1.0	1.4	0.2	6.4	1.5	13.4
2018	1.0	1.4	0.2	6.4	1.5	14.2
2019	0.8	1.4	0.2	6.0	1.4	14.4
2020*	0.8	1.4	0.1	5.3	1.5	15.0

Bulb farmers

The increase in scale in flower bulb cultivation continues year on year. The number of farms specialised in flower bulb cultivation has decreased by more than 40 percent since 2000; from 2.7 thousand (2000) to 1.5 thousand (2020). The area under bulb cultivation grew from 22.5 thousand ha in 2000 to 27.1 thousand ha in 2020. The average bulb grower now has almost 18 hectares of flower bulbs, which is 2.2 times as much as in 2000.

Bulb-growing areas

Flower bulb cultivation is strongly clustered on a regional basis. More than 1,000 ha of bulbs have been planted in eight municipalities: Den Helder, Hollands Kroon, Schagen, Medemblik, Midden-Drenthe, Noordoostpolder, Noordwijk and Koggenland. The largest continuous bulb-growing area is in the north of the province of Noord-Holland. In 2019, 28 percent of all flower bulbs (acreage) were planted in the municipalities of Hollands Kroon, Schagen and Den Helder, collectively known as the northern bulb region.

Another bulb-growing centre is the dune area west of Haarlem, Kennemerland. Bulb cultivation started there as early as the sixteenth century. Rich merchants from Haarlem and Amsterdam started bulb cultivation on levelled areas of duneland near their estates. A true gardening culture developed there over the course of the sixteenth century, with a leading role for the flower bulb.

Real bulb fever

The bulbs were sought after, scarce and therefore expensive. Bulb merchants were willing to pay a lot of money for them. They would conclude contracts with sellers at inns in Amsterdam, Haarlem, Alkmaar and Enkhuizen. This happened during the winter months, when the bulbs were still in the ground.

The buyer assumed that he would get what had been agreed in the spring. Collateral in the form of capital, as was customary at the time in the forward trading in VOC shares on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, was not required. The tulip trade relied on the trust that buyers and sellers had in each other.

The semper augustus was already sold for 3 thousand guilders in Haarlem in 1625. In February 1637, at the height of the tulip bubble, 4,200 guilders would be paid at auction for a Viceroy and 5,200 guilders for an Admiral van Enchuysen. Shortly thereafter, the market collapsed.

Show tableFlower bulb cultivation, 2019Hide tableFlower bulb cultivation, 2019

Flower bulb cultivation, 2019

Gemeentenaam	Flower bulb cultivation area (ha)
Aa en Hunze	5.1
Aalsmeer	36.6
Aalten	45.8
Alkmaar	174.4
Almelo	8.3
Almere	8.9
Alphen aan den Rijn	30.3
Altena	0.4
Apeldoorn	6.4
Assen	11.1
Baarle-Nassau	2.8
Beemster	28.6
Beesel	7.4
Bergeijk	0.2
Bergen (L.)	60.6
Bergen (NH.)	512.9
Bergen op Zoom	10.6
Berkelland	1.4
Bernheze	24.6
Best	11.7
Beverwijk	13.0
Bloemendaal	33.8
Boekel	49.2
Borger-Odoorn	161.8
Borsele	50.1
Boxmeer	53.7
Breda	3.3
Bronckhorst	24.2
Brummen	0.6
Castricum	75.9
Coevorden	127.9
Cranendonck	5.3
Cuijk	3.1
Dalfsen	129.8
De Fryske Marren	183.4
De Wolden	2.5
Delfzijl	36.8
Den Helder	1344.6
Deurne	55.9
Deventer	8.4
Doetinchem	46.3
Drechterland	914.1
Dronten	522.4
Echt-Susteren	20.7
Ede	6.8
Eersel	16.1
Eijsden-Margraten	11.7
Emmen	52.9
Enkhuizen	60.4
Etten-Leur	4.8
Gemert-Bakel	22.7
Gennep	20.3
Goeree-Overflakkee	872.4
Goes	29.1
Haarlem	1.1
Haarlemmermeer	177.1
Halderberge	11.5
Hardenberg	490.4
Harlingen	16.6
Heemskerk	48.8
Heerenveen	117.5
Heerhugowaard	158.4
Heiloo	35.4
Hellendoorn	36.5
Het Hogeland	135.0
Heumen	9.2
Hillegom	436.7
Hilvarenbeek	13.0
Hoeksche Waard	26.4
Hollands Kroon	3512.1
Hoorn	14.0
Horst aan de Maas	168.2
Hulst	89.3
Kaag en Braassem	5.1
Kapelle	4.3
Katwijk	0.4
Koggenland	1126.4
Landerd	95.0
Leidschendam-Voorburg	0.7
Lelystad	123.1
Leudal	224.0
Lisse	371.9
Loppersum	38.2
Maasdriel	0.8
Medemblik	1223.4
Meierijstad	33.0
Middelburg	5.8
Midden-Drenthe	1293.6
Midden-Groningen	5.6
Mill en Sint Hubert	44.5
Moerdijk	9.5
Neder-Betuwe	0.9
Nederweert	61.2
Nieuwkoop	6.1
Noardeast-Fryslân	11.4
Noordenveld	18.0
Noordoostpolder	2790.4
Noordwijk	1180.4
Nuenen, Gerwen en Nederwetten	3.9
Oirschot	0.1
Oldambt	27.6
Ommen	38.6
Oost Gelre	2.5
Ooststellingwerf	3.4
Opmeer	167.2
Opsterland	6.8
Oss	15.0
Oude IJsselstreek	26.1
Peel en Maas	108.4
Pekela	16.6
Putten	48.9
Raalte	42.8
Reimerswaal	2.0
Reusel-De Mierden	0.4
Roerdalen	30.0
Roermond	3.0
Roosendaal	112.1
Rucphen	24.0
Schagen	2678.8
Scherpenzeel	0.5
Schouwen-Duiveland	20.2
's-Hertogenbosch	7.0
Sint Anthonis	178.9
Sint-Michielsgestel	43.8
Sluis	13.8
Someren	28.2
Stadskanaal	1.0
Stede Broec	668.0
Steenbergen	45.7
Steenwijkerland	19.7
Stichtse Vecht	0.1
Súdwest-Fryslân	43.3
Texel	325.4
Teylingen	369.4
Tholen	50.5
Tubbergen	16.3
Twenterand	84.1
Tynaarlo	0.5
Uden	37.4
Uithoorn	1.1
Utrechtse Heuvelrug	6.0
Valkenswaard	0.4
Veldhoven	2.8
Velsen	3.1
Venray	266.6
Vlissingen	0.7
Voorschoten	1.1
Voorst	4.3
Waadhoeke	48.3
Wageningen	0.2
Wassenaar	0.2
Weert	106.4
Westerkwartier	8.9
Westerveld	377.6
Westerwolde	94.0
Westland	7.2
Weststellingwerf	181.7
Wierden	12.9
Winterswijk	30.6
Woensdrecht	11.3
Wormerland	7.8
Zaltbommel	5.4
Zeewolde	568.6
Zevenaar	17.6
Zundert	18.1
Wijdemeren	0.0
Achtkarspelen	0
Alblasserdam	0
Albrandswaard	0
Alphen-Chaam	0
Ameland	0
Amersfoort	0
Amstelveen	0
Amsterdam	0
Appingedam	0
Arnhem	0
Asten	0
Baarn	0
Barendrecht	0
Barneveld	0
Beek	0
Beekdaelen	0
Berg en Dal	0
Beuningen	0
Bladel	0
Blaricum	0
Bodegraven-Reeuwijk	0
Borne	0
Boxtel	0
Brielle	0
Brunssum	0
Bunnik	0
Bunschoten	0
Buren	0
Capelle aan den IJssel	0
Culemborg	0
Dantumadiel	0
De Bilt	0
De Ronde Venen	0
Delft	0
Diemen	0
Dinkelland	0
Doesburg	0
Dongen	0
Dordrecht	0
Drimmelen	0
Druten	0
Duiven	0
Edam-Volendam	0
Eemnes	0
Eindhoven	0
Elburg	0
Enschede	0
Epe	0
Ermelo	0
Geertruidenberg	0
Geldrop-Mierlo	0
Gilze en Rijen	0
Goirle	0
Gooise Meren	0
Gorinchem	0
Gouda	0
Grave	0
Groningen	0
Gulpen-Wittem	0
Haaksbergen	0
Haaren	0
Harderwijk	0
Hardinxveld-Giessendam	0
Hattem	0
Heemstede	0
Heerde	0
Heerlen	0
Heeze-Leende	0
Hellevoetsluis	0
Helmond	0
Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht	0
Hengelo	0
Heusden	0
Hilversum	0
Hof van Twente	0
Hoogeveen	0
Houten	0
Huizen	0
IJsselstein	0
Kampen	0
Kerkrade	0
Krimpen aan den IJssel	0
Krimpenerwaard	0
Laarbeek	0
Landgraaf	0
Landsmeer	0
Langedijk	0
Lansingerland	0
Laren	0
Leeuwarden	0
Leiden	0
Leiderdorp	0
Leusden	0
Lingewaard	0
Lochem	0
Loon op Zand	0
Lopik	0
Losser	0
Maasgouw	0
Maassluis	0
Maastricht	0
Meerssen	0
Meppel	0
Midden-Delfland	0
Molenlanden	0
Montferland	0
Montfoort	0
Mook en Middelaar	0
Nieuwegein	0
Nijkerk	0
Nijmegen	0
Nissewaard	0
Noord-Beveland	0
Nunspeet	0
Oegstgeest	0
Oisterwijk	0
Oldebroek	0
Oldenzaal	0
Olst-Wijhe	0
Oosterhout	0
Oostzaan	0
Ouder-Amstel	0
Oudewater	0
Overbetuwe	0
Papendrecht	0
Pijnacker-Nootdorp	0
Purmerend	0
Renkum	0
Renswoude	0
Rheden	0
Rhenen	0
Ridderkerk	0
Rijssen-Holten	0
Rijswijk	0
Rotterdam	0
Rozendaal	0
Schiedam	0
Schiermonnikoog	0
's-Gravenhage	0
Simpelveld	0
Sittard-Geleen	0
Sliedrecht	0
Smallingerland	0
Soest	0
Son en Breugel	0
Staphorst	0
Stein	0
Terneuzen	0
Terschelling	0
Tiel	0
Tilburg	0
Tytsjerksteradiel	0
Uitgeest	0
Urk	0
Utrecht	0
Vaals	0
Valkenburg aan de Geul	0
Veendam	0
Veenendaal	0
Veere	0
Venlo	0
Vijfheerenlanden	0
Vlaardingen	0
Vlieland	0
Voerendaal	0
Vught	0
Waalre	0
Waalwijk	0
Waddinxveen	0
Waterland	0
Weesp	0
West Betuwe	0
West Maas en Waal	0
Westervoort	0
Westvoorne	0
Wijchen	0
Wijk bij Duurstede	0
Woerden	0
Woudenberg	0
Zaanstad	0
Zandvoort	0
Zeist	0
Zoetermeer	0
Zoeterwoude	0
Zuidplas	0
Zutphen	0
Zwartewaterland	0
Zwijndrecht	0
Zwolle	0

The questions

1. How does CBS calculate the figures?
2. How do we use our land?
3. How fast is the population growing?
4. How are the various animal species doing?
5. What are our top concerns?
6. Where do the emigrants go?
7. Who use social media the most?
8. How isolated do we feel?
9. What are our favourite wedding dates? What about partnership registrations?
10. How many under-18s are receiving youth assistance?
11. What about cyber crime?
12. What are the most popular majors?
13. What are the major religions?
14. How many overnight stays?
15. How many people shop online? And the items they buy...
16. Who are eligible to vote?
17. What are young people doing online?
18. How many adults smoke or have smoked?
19. Where were people in the Caribbean Netherlands originally born?
20. Where do Caribbean Dutch children live?
21. How much internet usage in the Caribbean Netherlands?
22. How many people (never) work from home?
23. How many millionaires in the Netherlands?
24. Has our purchasing power gone up or down?
25. Which jobs have the highest levels of mental fatigue?
26. How many employees are members of a trade union?
27. How many passengers flying into and out of the Netherlands?
28. How much nitrogen is emitted at livestock farms?
29. How many dwellings in the Netherlands?
30. How much is our average mileage in electric cars?
31. What do we import from China?
32. Which prices are up, which are down?
33. What is our production of frozen fries?
34. How many enterprises in the Netherlands?
35. How much energy do we get from biomass?
36. How much do we recycle?
37. Which flower bulbs are most common?
38. What is the impact of coronavirus?