Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel, 517-290-1734

MDARD Helps Keep Tulip Time Blooming

Pre-Festival Inspections Root Out Invasive Pests and Plant Diseases

LANSING, Mich. – Inspectors at the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and their partners at the City of Holland have been working tirelessly to ensure a pleasant and pest-free Tulip Time.

Each spring, hundreds of thousands of visitors descend on Holland to admire stunning floral displays throughout the city’s parks and gardens. MDARD plays a crucial behind-the-scenes role to ensure the health and safety of tulip bulbs before they’re planted — and to protect Michiganders and the natural resources we cherish.

“MDARD and the City of Holland have been working quietly and efficiently to ensure a safe and successful Tulip Time,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring. “Verifying that imported tulip bulbs are free of plant pests and diseases is just one example of MDARD working behind the scenes to benefit Michiganders. We’re proud to help sustain this great state tradition for generations to come.”

Preparations for Tulip Time begin months in advance. In early September, shipments of bulbs sourced from the Netherlands begin their journey to Michigan. After the bulbs arrive at port in Pennsylvania, they are transported overnight to Holland. At that point, MDARD steps in to ensure the tulips are disease and pest-free.

“We want to ensure that the tulip bulbs visitors take home after the festival are healthy and pest-free,” said MDARD Plant Health Inspector Thomas Jepsen, Jr. “MDARD inspections help prevent the spread of harmful pests and plant diseases – protecting not just public displays, but also home landscapes and gardens.”

MDARD inspectors conduct a thorough visual inspection of the imported tulip bulbs, looking for signs of rot, soft spots, mites and fungal infections. If the inspectors detect any health, safety, or environmental concerns, they restrict the planting of those bulbs or require treatment before planting proceeds.

“We’re planting 648,000 tulips this year, all by hand,” said Jamie Scott, Deputy Director of Parks and Cemeteries at the City of Holland. “The fact that MDARD could come in and inspect our tulips and make sure we’re providing a product that is not detrimental to the environment is incredible.”

Whether planting a few bulbs in a home garden or hundreds of thousands of bulbs in a major display, maintaining pest-free green spaces is essential to ecological health and the integrity of the food system. MDARD performs inspections for a variety of plants shipped to nurseries and greenhouses across the state, working directly with the horticulture industry to protect against the serious economic and environmental threats posed by invasive species and plant diseases.

Watch MDARD inspectors and City of Holland personnel prep for Tulip Time.

Learn more about the Tulip Time Festival, which will take place from May 2 – May 11.

Read about MDARD’s Plant Health Program.