Most people associate tulips with Holland, but they didn’t originate there. Some species are indigenous to Turkey, where they have been cultivated and venerated for centuries, but the majority hail from the forbidding mountainous regions of Central Asia, where they can still be found growing wild today. They may look small next to today’s big hybrids, but you have to admire their beauty and tenacity.

You’ll find a sampling of wild tulips and near-relatives on our wild tulips page. For an interactive map and photos of 40 tulips in their native habitats, visit tulipsinthewild.com.