April 2004 issue of the Cornell Flower Bulb Research Program Research Newsletter:
One of the long-term objectives of the Cornell University Flowerbulb Research Program sponsored by Group 1 is to evaluate and recommend bulb cultivars with exceptional performance in various areas of North America. This is a huge task, as there are nearly 3,000 tulip cultivars available, more than 20,000 daffodil, and hundreds of hyacinth and special bulb cultivars and species. Added to this is the issue of widely varying climatic zones in North America, ranging from the warm, humid areas of the southeastern United States, to the cool and wet pacific northwest, to the cold winters and warm, humid summers in many northern states. In all of these areas, a wide range of microclimates (temperature, rainfall, snow cover, summer heat and humidity, sunlight, fog, soil condition, and horticultural management) may be expected to be encountered.