Jill Biden baptizes Hobaho-developed tulip that bears her name

First Lady Jill Biden, wife of US President Joe Biden, baptized a Hobaho-developed tulip bearing her name in Washington on April 5. At the residence of the Dutch ambassador ​​she stated that she considered it an honor to be included in the line of first Ladies with a tulip named after her. Other American first Ladies preceded her, including Laura Bush in 2014.

 

The Jill Biden was developed by Hobaho by Dümmen Orange, in collaboration with growers association Remarkable Tulips. The Jill Biden tulip is tall and elegant with a friendly apricot colour. The fringes glisten when the sun shines on them, reflecting the optimism the current First Lady is known for.

 

Foeke Gardenier, Director of Hobaho by Dümmen Orange: 'Jill Biden told me that she thinks her fringed tulip is very beautiful and special. I promised her some bulbs for her flower garden in the White House.'

 

The tulip is one of the most powerful, internationally recognizable symbols of the Netherlands and is still immensely popular in the US today. Around one billion flower bulbs are exported from the Netherlands to the US every year, around 45 per cent of which are tulips.

 

Foeke Gardenier: ‘Breeding tulips – in other words, developing specific colours, shapes and other characteristics – is a process that can take many years. We laid the basis for the Jill Biden 20 years ago. Besides being very beautiful, it is also an extremely strong tulip.’

 

Hobaho by Dümmen Orange has specialised in the breeding, brokering and auctioning of flower bulbs, tubers and perennials for more than 100 years. Hobaho's test centre in Lisse, the Netherlands, breeds ornamental bulb crops and also conducts research into resistances.