As I type this, spring has officially arrived in North Texas with thunderous claps of our first big, spring storm. This weekend, however, spring was rung in a totally different way! When you think of spring in Texas, you often think of Blue Bonnets (or Maroon Bonnets if you’re an Aggie!). What if I told you that us North Texans think of Tulips? “Michelle, aren’t Tulips a Dutch thing?” Nope! We’ve got our own little slice of the Netherlands in DFW! Texas Tulips is the largest U-Pick tulip field in Texas! This is one Texas Botanical Travel you won’t want to skip on your itinerary!
History
The story of Texas Tulip Farm begins 30 years ago with a love for the wildly popular soap opera “Dallas” & an American Dream. Peit and Afra Koeman were horticultural farmers in the Netherlands, growing leeks, chrysanthemums, irises, and of course, tulip bulbs! However, before moving to the lone star state, their tulip business focused primarily on wholesale, which was not fulfilling for Koeman’s son Peiter. In 2015, Peiter, along with his wife Petra, decided to be cowboys in their own right, and head west across the pond to Texas! Together with local realtor Kelly Peace, they landed at Pilot Point, Texas, as the home of their new tulip farm! Pilot point had the right combination of fertile soil (a loamy soil to be precise) and a good history of spring weather! Now, after seven years, Texas Tulips has become a spring staple for many North Texans!
Location & Hours
Tulip Season
Texas Tulips officially opens when the tulips decide it is time to bloom! This usually occurs around late February through early April. As a general rule, there is about a 5 to 6 week tulip season at Texas Tulips. I will note, the earlier/later you go there may be less blooms, but you’ll always find a few rows! The Koeman’s will always have a few late blooming tulip rows for this reason. I went around mid-march, and most rows of tulips were in bloom. Due to the cold temperatures we have been having, the stems were shorter than usual, but I expect as it warms up, you can see those bad boys grow a little taller. It really all depends on our crazy North Texas Weather.
You can visit Texas Tulps Monday thru Sunday from 10am till 8pm. I got there around 11am, and I would say it wasn’t over crowded yet. I would definitely suggest the sooner you can go, the better! It is good to note that the fields are only wheel chair accessible when the weather has been good.
Location & Entrance Fees
Texas Tulips is located at 10656 FM 2931, Pilot Point TX 76258. If you look carefully on your drive to the farm, you’ll notice some giraffes that another local farmer has! I bet you weren’t expecting to see a zoo too! From some internet sleuthing, I learned that the giraffes belong to High Point Performance Horses, and one of the giraffes is called Gerald. I’m not sure I have shared this on the blog yet, but I volunteer at the Dallas Zoo with the giraffes, so they have a special place in my heart.
Ok, so I’m sure by now you’re thinking that with how amazing Texas Tulips sounds, it must cost an arm and a leg to enter. Nope! There is only a $5 dollar entrance fee! The tulips cost $2.50 per stem you pick. They offer a few discounts for veterans and seniors at a combined price of $7.50 for entrance and 3 tulips. Parking on site is free, and there is plenty of it. You won’t have to stress about a parking spot like at a Dallas Park!
Additionally, if you get a hankering for food while you’re at the tulip field, they do have concession stands & of course restrooms (a.k.a. porta-potties!)
How it Works
After paying your entrance fee, you have free reign of the tulip field! You’ll begin by grabbing a flower basket for your tulips. You then peruse the fields looking for the perfect flowers for your bouquet! I recommend looking through all the rows to see the different varieties before picking your flowers. This way, you won’t run out of money before you find the perfect tulip, and then wish you had more left over! After all, they have over 100 varieties of tulips!
Once you have your tulips selected, you’ll head over to the booths. They will then cut and wrap your tulips for you! (P.S. you get to choose the color of your wrapping paper!) Don’t worry if you have a drive to home. They put the flowers in a special gel that helps preserve the blooms for the rest of the day!
What did I say? This is a Botanical Travel you don’t want to miss out on! There are still a few weeks left in the 2022 season for you to check out the fields! If you read this post after April and don’t want to wait a full year for the next tulip season, I also recommend visiting Green Valley Gardens in Denton! You can learn more about their flower fields in a previous post! Happy frolicking through the flowers, y’all!
