It’s that time of year, as the sun starts to shine a little brighter, the weather warms up and Michigan Avenue becomes a little more colorful with gorgeous tulips.
In fact, thanks to The Magnificent Mile Association, some of the beautiful tulips you’ll see along the city’s famed avenue are truly an "Only in Chicago" phenomenon.
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WATCH HERE“We have our own official Magnificent Mile tulip,” said Kimberly Bares, the President and CEO of The Magnificent Mile Association. “One of the things we realized was that we have this incredible asset, tulips on Michigan Avenue, and we hadn’t leaned into that.”
To lean in, Bares and her team partnered with growers in Hollard, the tulip capital of the world, and created a gorgeous tulip exclusively for the city.
The Consul General for the Kingdom of the Netherlands put his stamp of approval on the creation. Noting his team’s technology, he was part of a team that helped to design a flower that can thrive in the Midwest.
“It’s special,” said Eric Strating, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. “It doesn’t need as much sunshine, it’s in the middle of the city. The wind can be strong, and this tulip is a bit more sturdy than the average tulip.”
Along with its sturdiness, The Magnificent Mile tulip is bright and bold. It’s a mix of sunset shades, like yellow, orange and red.
Only in Chicago
“We went through the catalog with the growers in Holland and we picked out one we thought was striking,” Bares explained.
As of now, you can the city's signature tulips in three locations: outside the Tribune residences, the Starbucks Roastery and The Magnificent Mile Association’s offices.
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SIGN UP You can plant the hometown tulip. It is available for preorder now through June 30th for fall 2025 planting. For more information, click here.
