HOLLAND, Mich - The Tulip Time Festival in Holland attracts close to a half a million people over the course of the week, and there are about a million tulips city-wide.
But the pretty flowers are not meant to be souvenirs.
13 On Your Side Verified: Is there a special law against picking the tulips?
Bri Olson was taking in Tulip Time with her best friend and her little brothers.
“I've never seen a sign,” Olson said. "But I've heard that if you pick them, it's like a $100 to $300 fine.”
She warned her friend's brothers not to touch the flowers.
“It might be just a scare tactic…who knows,” she said.
Andy Kenyon, the Holland Parks & Recreation Director, has the answer.
“That’s actually a well known urban legend around town. The fine I've heard is everywhere from $50 to $200," Kenyon said. "It goes back many decades.”
Tulip picking is not allowed, but we can verify there’s no special law.
“We will let that belief go out there though,” Kenyon said.
But that doesn't mean you’re in the clear.
“It’s actually just a destruction of property misdemeanor and the fines range," Kenyon said. "But a judge will set that if the person does get in trouble for picking tulips.”
Thankfully Kenyon says it's not very common issue.
“We encourage people if they want to have tulips, there's a lot of places around town that sell cut tulips right now and you can buy bulbs.”
To see more of 13 On Your Side's Verify stories, check them out here.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WZZM 13 app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.