‘Lost Amasya tulip’ rediscovered in Türkiye after 130 years

A tulip species long believed to be extinct has been rediscovered in northern Türkiye’s Amasya province after 130 years. The plant, known as the “Lost Amasya tulip,” was last recorded in the wild in 1896 and had since been considered lost in botanical literature. Ercan Eftelioğlu, a local nature enthusiast, spotted an unusual tulip during a countryside walk and sent photographs to botanists for identification.

Scientific confirmation

Botanists İsmail Eker of Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University and Salih Sercan Kanoğlu of Istanbul’s Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden visited the area and confirmed the plant was the lost species. Eker said the species was first collected in 1892 and last documented in 1896, adding that many researchers had searched for it over the past 130 years without success. “Today is an important day because we thought this plant had been lost. But after 130 years, we have seen that it has not disappeared from Amasya, that it is still alive, although its habitat is quite limited.”

Protection efforts

Eker said the next step is to place the species under protection and ensure its long‑term survival. Eftelioğlu said the tulip caught his eye during one of his nature walks: “I saw that it looked very much like Amasya’s lost tulip, so I took two samples and photographed it. We sent it to our botanist colleagues, and they determined it was Amasya’s lost tulip.” The tulip, like many endemic species, is threatened by habitat loss and climate change. Türkiye is one of the world’s most important centres for tulip diversity, with over 40 native species.