Wild flowers:  Anatolia’s prettiest secrets

by Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Tekin

With the sudden onset of Spring, most readers will have had their heads turned by an unsuspected crocus or tulip. But many will be unaware of the wealth of wild flowers which grow naturally in Turkey's multiple habitats. We asked Dr. Erdoğan Tekin, author of the popular book "The Most Beautiful Wild Flowers of Turkey", to share with us some of his favourite experiences and photographs. The result was a colourful selection of floral gems, travel hints and little-known facts.

Foreigners who visit Turkey are regularly amazed by the number of archaeological and historical sites and the beauty of the Aegean and Mediterranean beaches. Most people, however, are less aware of the fabulous variety of Turkey's natural plant-life. The country has 13,000 species of flora, of which 3,000 are endemic.

This richness is no accident. Geographically, Turkey is so situated that it is affected not only by Alpine and Mediterranean factors but also by Himalayan and Caucasian influences. This is the fundamental reason for its staggering bio-diversity. It does not take long to learn to notice plants and recognise them. And wild flowers are surely the most beautiful and rewarding of all.

Ankara specials

Those living in Ankara should not miss the endemic 'crocus ancyrensis' (Fig 1) in March and April. Come May, the fantastic 'centaurea tchihatcheffii' (Fig 2) appears - but only in a single corner of the town of Gölbaşı. You can see this strikingly shiny, velvety, pinkish-maroon endemic flower off the Ankara-Haymana road. Pause to reflect that this beautiful plant almost became extinct before being revived in recent years thanks to the efforts of Professor M. Vural. Another pretty endemic observed in the same region is 'wiedemannia orientalis' (Fig. 3).

Ankara is wealthier in its flora than is widely known. In the North of the province, around Çamlıdere and Kızılcahamam, 'astragalus pontica' (Fig 4) may catch your attention.

A trip to the South

To the South, in the direction of Beyşehir, the most striking sight is probably the locality of 'leocojum aestivum' (Fig 5). Near the southern shorts of Lake Beyşehir is the village of Karadiken. Here, in April and May, extensive fields full of this beautiful flower offer a dazzling contrast to the snowy peaks of the Taurus mountains (Fig 6).

When you visit Cappadocia, keep your eyes peeled for the spiky beauty 'morina persica' (Fig 7). And if you care to travel a little further southwards - particularly in March - you will discover the land of 'galanthus elwesii' (Fig 8), in the mountain meadows of Akşehir. While still in the Akşehir area, wander through the pine forests in the limestone hills to find one of the most beautiful - and odorous - endemic flowers in Turkey: 'muscari muscarimi' (Fig 9).

On the sandy beaches beyond the Taurus mountains, you may be lucky enough to make the acquaintance of the lonely 'pancratium maritimum' (Fig 10).

Uludağ and the Black Sea

Lovers of mountains will not leave Turkey without visiting Uludağ. In March and April, the meadows there are blanketed with 'crocus biflorus' and 'crocus chrysanthus' (Fig 11).

Niksar (in Tokat province) in the Black Sea region, is home to another endemic beauty, 'phlomis russeliana' (Fig 12). Further East, all the way from Trabzon to Şavşat (in Ardahan), you will have little difficulty in spotting 'lilium monodelphum' (Fig 13) and 'aqualegia pontica' (Fig 14).

Without doubt the most widely distributed wild flower of this region in 'rhododendron ponticum' (Fig 15). Go off-road to the North of Murgul (in Artvin) and you will come across one of Turkey's most astonishing natural sights. Starting in the snowy Kaçkar mountains, the Lebisküs valley (Fig 16) winds its way towards the Sea, its slopes rising up to 300m on either side - and completely covered in rhododendrons. A sense of ecstasy is unavoidable in this wildflower paradise, where not a building - not a pylon - spoils the view, and the only sounds are the singing of the birds, the whistle of the wind and the chatter of the icy stream.

Brides and tulips

Heading South from the Eastern Black Sea region through the provinces of Ağrı and Van, the botanic explorer reaches the true home of the magnificent 'fritillaria imperialis' (Fig 17), known in Turkish as the "weeping bride". The prettiest girl of the village, the story goes, is forced to marry the ugly son of the landlord. She prays daily to be saved from such misery. In the end God takes pity on her and turns her into this flower.

The flower resembles the bride, the milky emulsion which it discharges resembles her tears. The region is also rich in irises such as 'iris paradoxa' (Fig 18).

Mus, West of Van, is a must in the month of April, for this is the site of the world's largest wild tulip field. Within a length and a breadth of at least five kilometres (Fig 19), nothing is to be seen but the 'tulipa sintenesii' (Fig 20).

Journey without end

When you visit the extraordinary statues of the gods on Mount Nemrut (Adiyaman), look out for the endemic 'allium nemrutdaghense' (Fig 21), found only within a radius of about 500m of the summit.

This exciting journey never ends I have been doing it for the last 50 years, but have still been able to observe only about 1,500 of the 13,000 species.

( DIPLOMAT  -  April 2006  -  Ankara )