With blood-red streaks vividly marking its white petals, the Semper Augustus tulip was, by all accounts, a truly remarkable flower, celebrated throughout history for its beauty and rarity. Its striking pattern was caused by a virus—known as the Tulip Breaking Virus (TBV)—which enhanced its appearance but also weakened and eventually killed the bulb, along with its offshoots. Over time, the bulbs would degrade, and eventually, they would become too weak to flower, causing the genetic line to die off. Losing its bloom, the flower served as an almost obligatory reminder of life's brevity and the futility of vanity.