Some flowers grow from seeds. Not tulips! Tulips grow from bulbs. The bulbs look like onions. Plant them in the soil. Roots grow out the bottom. The tulip grows out the top. A bulb makes one tulip plant every year.
In the early spring, you see green shoots in the soil. Next, a long stem and long leaves grow. A bud forms at the top. At first, the bud is green. It looks like the petals are hugging each other.
The bud is almost ready to open. Now you see the color. Tulips can be many different colors. Often, they are yellow, red, pink, or white.
The petals open. They are very wide. The color is bright. The flower opens a little more each day. Soon you can see the center. The center holds the pollen. The pollen looks like powder.
When the pollen is ready, the petals fall off. The tulip dies. But don’t worry! The bulb is still alive. It will make another tulip next spring.
