Tropical tulips.

The tulip is a jewel of a flower that lasts up to nine days once cut. Despite that short life, its sophistication attracts buyers from across the globe. Aware of that appeal, Dutch businessman Pietros Schoenmaker sought to grow this temperate flower in a tropical climate. Two decades ago, he brought the seeds from Holland to cultivate the flowers at an estate in Terra Viva, a large ranch in the flower-producing region of Holambra, 140 kilometers from Sao Paulo. "There were years and years of study and adaptation, but it was worth it," says Schoenmaker, who sees an export market in the United States.

An undisclosed wholesaler in Miami buys all the tulips cut at Terra Viva. The flowers travel anywhere between 16 and 20 hours before making their final destination in the United States. In Brazil, the tulip is sold in vases. The harvest runs from May to September. In 2006, the estate produced 2 million flowers, 60% of which were exported.

Terra Viva produces other types of flowers, including chrysanthemums and roses that are largely shipped out to Europe, where the tulip dominates the market. Holland is the world's largest producer of tulips. "Our tulips have the quality and are on par with that of the Dutch," says Schoenmaker.

Others agree. "Brazil is gaining ground on the global flower market. Although this segment is very small at 0.03% of a US$9 billion market, it is growing on average 20% a year in this decade," says Helio Junqueira, a consultant at Ibraflor, the Brazilian horticulture institute. "A lot of this is due to an increase in sales of flowers abroad and basically, conquering the U.S. markets in the last three years."