Holland America Line says it is partnering with the world-famous Keukenhof Spring Gardens in the Netherlands to develop an exclusive tulip in celebration of its 140th anniversary in 2013.  Master grower Jan Pennings, exhibitor at Keukenhof Gardens, chose to create a white petal variety to honour the company, which was originally founded in Rotterdam on 18 April 1873 as a transatlantic cargo and passenger company.

To launch the planting of the new tulip, which will be harvested next spring, Jan Pennings handed over the first bulbs to Holland America Line Captain Edward van Zaane and Martin Schröder, Loyal Mariner and member of the Holland America Line Dutch advisory board. The event took place last week, on Friday 16 November 2012, by a windmill that was donated to Keukenhof Gardens by Holland America Line in 1957. The tulips are scheduled to bloom in spring 2013.  An official christening and naming of the new tulip will be held in April 2013 at Keukenhof.


Known as the Garden of Europe, Keukenhof is the world's largest flower garden, situated near Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Approximately seven million flower bulbs of 1,600 varieties are planted annually around the park. Keukenhof is only open for two months per year, from 21 March through to 20 May, and attracts more than 800,000 visitors from around the world.