🇹🇷 The flowers of Turkey

76 pages from Turkey: its flowers, the things made with them and the places to see them, across 23 cities and regions.

Turkey is home to nearly 10,000 plant species, with about a third found nowhere else. Its mountains, varied climates, and soils create a rich and diverse flora. The country is especially known for its endemic milk-vetches (Astragalus), mulleins (Verbascum), and thistles (Centaurea), as well as oak and pine forests.

About 32% of Turkey's plants are endemic.
Nearly 400 Astragalus species grow in Turkey.
The Anatolian diagonal divides eastern and western floras.
Verbascum (mullein) has its world center in Turkey.
Oak and pine forests cover much of the country.

The plant life of Turkey

Turkey's plant life is shaped by its mountains, varied climates, and complex geology. The country sits at the crossroads of three major botanical regions: Mediterranean, Euro-Siberian, and Irano-Turanian. This mix, along with fragmented landscapes, has led to high plant diversity and endemism. Forests of oak and pine, steppe grasslands, and Mediterranean shrublands are common. Central Anatolia is mostly dry steppe, while the coasts and mountains support richer forests. The range of soils—from saline flats to gypsum hills and serpentine outcrops—further boosts the variety of flowering plants.

From region to region in Turkey

Plant life changes sharply across Turkey. The Black Sea coast is humid and forested, with beech, fir, and chestnut. Central Anatolia is drier, with grasslands and salt-tolerant plants near lakes. The Mediterranean and Aegean coasts have hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, supporting shrubland and oak forests. The eastern mountains, separated by the Anatolian diagonal, have many species unique to that region, including mixed oak woodlands and alpine meadows.

Flowers to know in Turkey

Turkey is a center of diversity for several plant groups. The milk-vetch genus (Astragalus) has nearly 400 species here, many forming thorny cushions in dry mountains. Mulleins (Verbascum) are also abundant, with most species found only in Turkey. Thistles of the Centaurea genus and various cushion plants like Acantholimon are common in steppe and rocky areas. The Anatolian diagonal is home to about 400 species found nowhere else.

How flowers are used in Turkey

Turkey has a long history of plant use. The region was an early center for the cultivation of wheat and other crops. Mediterranean shrublands and forests have been cleared for agriculture and grazing. Tea is widely grown on the humid slopes of the eastern Black Sea. Some wild plants are collected for food, and edible mushrooms are abundant.

Threats and protection in Turkey

Deforestation and heavy grazing have changed much of Turkey's natural vegetation, especially in the Taurus Mountains and coastal areas. Many forests have been replaced by shrubland or farmland. Some endemic plants are at risk due to habitat loss. Conservation efforts include protected areas and reserves, but pressures from agriculture and development remain strong.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Flora of Turkey", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Flower experiences in Turkey

All 2

🇹🇷 Isparta · May to JunRose harvest in IspartaTurkey's rose province, where damask roses are picked at dawn for oil in May and June.

🇹🇷 Isparta · Jul to AugKuyucak lavender villageA small village in Isparta province surrounded by purple lavender fields in July.

ShowFlowers Decorations Places

ColourRed Pink Orange Yellow White Cream Blue Purple Green Maroon Many-coloured

In flowerSpring Summer Monsoon Autumn Winter

Sieber's crocusCrocus sieberi A small wild crocus from the Balkans with vivid orange stamens 🇬🇷 Greece and 4 more · Wildflower

Tulipa saxatilis A wild pink tulip from the Aegean islands and western Turkey 🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 more · Wildflower

Iris unguicularis A winter-blooming iris with lilac or purple flowers and evergreen leaves 🇩🇿 Algeria and 4 more · Wildflower

Romulea Small cormous wildflowers of the iris family from Africa and the Mediterranean 🇿🇦 South Africa and 7 more · Wildflower

AzaleaRhododendron Shade-loving flowering shrubs with spring blooms and thousands of cultivated forms 🇺🇸 United States and 4 more · Flowering shrub

Gypsophila A group of delicate, small-flowered plants known as baby's-breath 🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 more · Wildflower

LeekAllium ampeloprasum A mild-flavoured onion relative and Welsh emblem with edible leaf sheaths 🇪🇬 Egypt and 7 more · Herb or useful flower

Poppy anemoneAnemone coronaria Red, white, or blue Mediterranean flower with a dark crown centre 🇮🇱 Israel and 7 more · Wildflower

Damask roseRosa × damascena A fragrant pink rose grown for oil, water, and sweets in West and South Asia 🇮🇷 Iran and 6 more · Garden flower

Sweet mock orangePhiladelphus coronarius A fragrant white-flowered shrub from the Caucasus and Turkey, grown in gardens 🇹🇷 Turkey and 7 more · Flowering shrub

Dame's-violetHesperis matronalis A tall, fragrant flower with purple, pink, or white blooms in spring 🇪🇸 Spain and 4 more · Wildflower

Decoration Tulip festival Annual spring festivals celebrating tulips in bloom across the world 🇳🇱 Netherlands and 7 more · Parade or display

PaperwhiteNarcissus tazetta A tall, white-and-yellow narcissus grown for scent and indoor blooms 🇫🇷 France and 7 more · Bulb flower

Spanish broomSpartium junceum A tall shrub with rush-like stems and fragrant yellow flowers 🇵🇪 Peru and 6 more · Flowering shrub

Crown imperialFritillaria imperialis Tall spring flower with a ring of drooping blooms like a crown 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 more · Wildflower

Oxeye DaisyLeucanthemum vulgare A white-petalled wildflower of meadows, now found across much of the world 🇱🇻 Latvia and 6 more · Wildflower

German irisIris × germanica A tall, rhizome-rooted iris with showy bearded blooms in many colours 🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Garden flower

Lesser PeriwinkleVinca minor A low, evergreen groundcover with violet or white star-shaped flowers 🇫🇷 France and 4 more · Wildflower

Decoration Butaبوته A curved floral motif found in Persian, Indian, and Central Asian art and textiles 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 more · Art or design

Tulipa suaveolens Wild Eurasian tulip with bowl-shaped flowers in many colours 🇷🇺 Russia and 6 more · Wildflower

Armenian tulipTulipa armena A wild tulip from the Armenian Highlands with many forms and colours 🇦🇲 Armenia and 4 more · Wildflower

Sprenger's tulipTulipa sprengeri A bright red wild tulip from Amasya, Turkey, once thought extinct 🇹🇷 Turkey and 2 more · Wildflower

Orange wild tulipTulipa orphanidea A copper-red wild tulip from the Balkans and western Turkey 🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 2 more · Wildflower

Fritillaria persica A tall bulb plant with deep purple to greenish-brown bell flowers from the Middle East 🇹🇷 Turkey and 7 more · Wildflower

Crocus ancyrensisAnkara çiğdemi A small orange-yellow crocus native to North and Central Turkey 🇹🇷 Turkey · Wildflower

Giant snowdropGalanthus elwesii A tall, early-blooming snowdrop from the Balkans and Asia Minor 🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 more · Wildflower

Place Atatürk Arboretum A large arboretum and research garden in Istanbul's Bahçeköy district Sarıyer, 🇹🇷 Turkey · Botanical garden

SowbreadCyclamen hederifolium A hardy Mediterranean cyclamen with ivy-shaped, patterned leaves and autumn blooms 🇫🇷 France and 2 more · Wildflower

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Buta: Thomas Watier, Public domain, source
Concrete (perfumery): Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Atatürk Arboretum: CeeGee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Paperwhite: Zachi Evenor, CC BY 2.0, source
Oxeye Daisy: Victor M. Vicente Selvas, Public domain, source
Spanish broom: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Giant snowdrop: Димитър Найденов / Dimìtar Nàydenov, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tulipa suaveolens: Ardyansa Nugraha, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
German iris: Za, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Sieber's crocus: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Anemone: Aviad2001, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Armenian tulip: Ziegler175, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Sprenger's tulip: Sten Porse, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Orange wild tulip: Bernd Haynold, CC BY 2.5, source
Fritillaria persica: Gideon Pisanty ( Gidip ), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Sowbread: Mario Rainaldi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Crocus ancyrensis: Ghislain118 http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.net, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Tulipa saxatilis: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Iris unguicularis: Magnus Manske, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Romulea: Gideon Pisanty ( Gidip ), CC BY 3.0, source
Azalea: YvoBentele, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Gypsophila: John Alan Elson, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Leek: WikiLucas00, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Sweet mock orange: No machine-readable author provided. Rainer Bielefeld assumed (based o, Public domain, source
Dame's-violet: AnRo0002, CC0, source
Tulip festival: GoToVan, CC BY 2.0, source
Crown imperial: UpstateNYer, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Lesser Periwinkle: AnRo0002, CC0, source
Isparta Rose Harvest: Isparta at Turkish Wikipedia, Public domain, source
Kuyucak Lavender Village: No machine-readable author provided. Rarelibra assumed (based on copyr, Public domain, source
Turkey: Gerhardpils, CC BY-SA 3.0, source