The city of Haarlem in The Netherlands has set a prize of 100 000 florinss to the person who can grow a black tulip.
This begins a competition between the country's best gardeners to win the money, the honour and fame.
The young and bourgeois Cornelius van Baerle has almost succeeded, when he suddenly is thrown into prison. There he meets the prison guard's beautiful daughter Rosa, who shall be his comfort and help, and at last his rescuer.
The Black Tulip is not just an exciting novel from a dramatic period, but also a love story with a happy ending.
It was originally published in three volumes 1850 as La Tulipe noire by Baudry (Paris).