EAGLEVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A stretch of unseasonably warm weather is fast-tracking spring at a popular Middle Tennessee farm, where hundreds of thousands of tulips are beginning to bloom earlier than expected.
At Lucky Ladd Farms, crews plant more than 500,000 tulip bulbs each year in preparation for the annual Tennessee Tulip Festival. The flowers typically begin blooming in mid-March, but with temperatures forecast in the upper 70s and 80s this week, color is already emerging across the fields.
Tulips are highly sensitive to temperature swings, and warm conditions accelerate their development. That means this year’s bloom season could not only arrive earlier than usual, but also move more quickly once it peaks.
The festival is scheduled to run from March 14 through April 12, with peak blooms historically lasting just two to four weeks. Farm officials say the accelerated growth could shift that window forward, making timing especially important for visitors hoping to catch the fields at their most vibrant…