🇹🇷 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.
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.
PeachPrunus persica
A flowering fruit tree from China, grown for its pink blossoms and sweet fruit
🇨🇳 China and 7 more · Flowering tree
TulipTulipa
Spring-blooming bulbs with showy, cup-shaped flowers in many colours
🇳🇱 Netherlands and 7 more · Wildflower
Bay laurelLaurus nobilis
Evergreen tree with aromatic leaves used as bay leaf in cooking
🇬🇷 Greece and 9 more · Flowering tree
ElderSambucus nigra
A tall shrub or small tree with clusters of white flowers and dark berries
🇩🇪 Germany and 6 more · Wildflower
Crocus
Small corm-grown flowers in white, yellow, orange or purple
🇹🇷 Turkey and 7 more · Wildflower
Horse-chestnutAesculus hippocastanum
A large flowering tree known for its white spring blooms and shiny brown conkers
🇦🇱 Albania and 7 more · Flowering tree
HyacinthHyacinthus
A spring-blooming bulb with fragrant, colourful flower spikes
🇹🇷 Turkey and 7 more · Bulb flower
SnowdropGalanthus
White bell-shaped flowers that bloom at the end of winter
🇹🇷 Turkey and 7 more · Wildflower
Giant snowdropGalanthus elwesii
A tall, early-blooming snowdrop from the Balkans and Asia Minor
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 more · Wildflower
Scilla luciliae
A small blue-and-white spring bulb from western Turkey
🇹🇷 Turkey and 3 more · Wildflower
Iris reticulata
A small spring iris with blue or yellow flowers and a netted bulb
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 more · Wildflower
Mourning irisIris susiana
A rare iris with large, spotted flowers once found in the mountains of the Middle East
🇱🇧 Lebanon and 2 more · Wildflower
Iberian irisIris iberica
A rare, boldly veined iris from the Caucasus steppes
🇬🇪 Georgia and 4 more · Wildflower
Eichler tulipTulipa eichleri
A rare deep red tulip from the Caucasus and Iran with a dark central blotch
🇬🇪 Georgia and 4 more · Wildflower
Leucojum
White-flowered bulbs of damp meadows and shady gardens
🇪🇸 Spain and 6 more · Wildflower
Glory of the snowChionodoxa
Small spring bulbs with blue, pink or white star-shaped flowers
🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 more · Wildflower
Sweet-amberHypericum androsaemum
A small shrub with yellow flowers and berries that ripen from red to black
🇵🇹 Portugal and 7 more · Flowering shrub
Bee orchidOphrys apifera
A wild orchid with flowers that mimic the look and scent of a female bee
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 7 more · Wildflower
Star-of-BethlehemOrnithogalum umbellatum
A white, star-shaped spring flower that opens late in the day
🇫🇷 France and 7 more · Wildflower
Sea kaleCrambe maritima
Salt-loving coastal plant with edible white-flowered shoots
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 7 more · Wildflower
JonquilNarcissus jonquilla
A spring-flowering daffodil with narrow leaves and sweet-scented blooms
🇪🇸 Spain and 6 more · Wildflower
Decoration
Nowruzنوروز
Spring New Year festival marked by fire, greenery, and festive gatherings
🇮🇷 Iran and 9 more · Custom, March
Decoration
Hıdırellez
Spring festival marking the meeting of Hızır and İlyas, celebrated on May 5–6
🇹🇷 Turkey and 8 more · Custom, May
Paeonia peregrina
A wild red peony native to southeastern Europe and Turkey
🇷🇴 Romania and 7 more · Wildflower
Paeonia daurica
A wild peony with many forms, native from the Balkans to Iran
🇬🇪 Georgia and 7 more · Wildflower
ApricotPrunus armeniaca
A spring-flowering fruit tree with white or pink blossoms and orange-yellow fruit
🇦🇲 Armenia and 7 more · Flowering tree
Wood anemoneAnemonoides nemorosa
A spring wildflower of European woodlands with star-shaped white or pale blooms
🇹🇷 Turkey and 1 more · Wildflower
Garden hyacinthHyacinthus orientalis
A spring bulb with dense, fragrant flower clusters in many colours
🇹🇷 Turkey and 6 more · Garden flower
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
AzaleaRhododendron
Shade-loving flowering shrubs with spring blooms and thousands of cultivated forms
🇺🇸 United States and 4 more · Flowering shrub
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
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
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
Armenian tulipTulipa armena
A wild tulip from the Armenian Highlands with many forms and colours
🇦🇲 Armenia and 4 more · Wildflower
Orange wild tulipTulipa orphanidea
A copper-red wild tulip from the Balkans and western Turkey
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 2 more · Wildflower
Crocus ancyrensisAnkara çiğdemi
A small orange-yellow crocus native to North and Central Turkey
🇹🇷 Turkey · Wildflower
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Bay laurel: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us, source
- Oxeye Daisy: Victor M. Vicente Selvas, Public domain, source
- Spanish broom: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Leucojum: fir0002 flagstaffotos [at] gmail.com Canon 20D + Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, GFDL 1.2, source
- Sweet-amber: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Giant snowdrop: Димитър Найденов / Dimìtar Nàydenov, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Star-of-Bethlehem: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Sea kale: Charlesdrakew, Public domain, source
- German iris: Za, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Paeonia peregrina: Димитър Найденов / Dimìtar Nàydenov, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Sieber's crocus: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Elder: Willow, CC BY 2.5, source
- Tulip: John O'Neill, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Snowdrop: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Peach: Jack Dykinga, USDA, Public domain, source
- Apricot: Fir0002, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Anemone: Aviad2001, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Horse-chestnut: Stephan van Helden, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hyacinth: The wub, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Armenian tulip: Ziegler175, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Orange wild tulip: Bernd Haynold, CC BY 2.5, source
- Scilla luciliae: AnRo0002, CC0, source
- Eichler tulip: Mbzt, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Crocus: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Crocus ancyrensis: Ghislain118 http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.net, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Iris reticulata: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mourning iris: Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627), Public domain, source
- Bee orchid: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Glory of the snow: Teun Spaans, CC BY 3.0, source
- Jonquil: Cillas, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nowruz: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
- Hıdırellez: Правительство Республики Крым, CC BY 4.0, source
- Paeonia daurica: Orjen, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Garden hyacinth: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Wood anemone: Rasbak, 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
- Azalea: YvoBentele, 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