Nestled among the snowy peaks and verdant valleys of Kurdistan, each spring the Kurdish tulip (Gul-Shler in Sorani Kurdish, or fritillaria imperialis) emerges, adding brilliance to the harmony of spring and Newroz, the Kurdish New Year.

Known as the crown imperial for its regal bearing, this striking flower is more than a botanical marvel; it symbolize resilience and cultural identity and reigns as the star of Kurdistan’s highland ecosystem. With its bright red flowers rising through the last patches of snow, the Kurdish tulip shows us how nature can survive even in the hardest times. However, climate change and excessive harvesting have put its future at risk.

Queen of the mountain

The Kurdish tulip is instantly recognizable by its long stem, reaching a height of 1 meter, crowned by a cluster of pendants, bell-shaped flowers in hues of red, orange, and occasionally yellow. Its blooms, shaped like inverted chalices, are framed by lance-shaped leaves arranged in a distinctive pyramidal pattern.

This architectural elegance is not merely ornamental – the plant’s structure is a survival adaptation. The waxy coating on its leaves retains moisture, which helps it conserve water in the dry mountain air, while its height ensures visibility to pollinating bees and butterflies in the sparse high-altitude terrain. You’ll find it between 1,800 and 2,400 meters in elevation, on steep, rocky slopes where few plants survive.

The flower thrives in Kurdistan’s mountainous regions. In the shadow of peaks like Hakkari, Judi, and Sinjar, the Kurdish tulip emerges in late spring, often blooming alongside melting snow across the Zagros Mountain range.

Its preference for rocky, well-drained slopes protects it from competition with hardier lowland flowers. Yet this specialization also makes it vulnerable; even minor shifts in temperature or precipitation patterns can disrupt its lifecycle. A late frost or less snow can hurt it, and when the ground gets too crowded, it simply will not bloom. It needs space, silence, and just the right balance to thrive.

A national memory

For many Kurds, the Kurdish tulip is more than just a flower; it is part of what makes Kurdistan home. An age-old tradition tells of a heartbroken young woman whose tears turned into these flowers. Others say ancient heroes planted Kurdish tulip on mountaintops like torches to guide travelers through dangerous paths. Whether in songs, poems, or tales told by the fire, this flower is part of Kurdish memory.

Families decorate homes with the Kurdish tulip, artists carve it into wood, and poets use it as a symbol of love and freedom. The families of Kurdistan’s martyrs often plant them on the grave of their loved ones as a gesture of remembrance and resilience. As the poet Ahmad Khani once wrote, “As the Kurdish tulip defies the snow, so too shall our spirits rise above tyranny.”

However, the Kurdish tulip is not just a symbol – it has real uses, too. In Kurdish folk medicine, its bulbs were crushed to treat coughs and fevers, and oil from its stem was used to heal wounds. It became a trusted medicine in remote villages where doctors were far away.

Its role in the environment is just as important. The Kurdish tulip supports insects that keep the ecosystem alive. When it blooms, it is a sign that the land is still healthy.

Protecting Gul-Shler

The Kurdish tulip is in danger, as climate change has thrown off the seasons. Some years, the snow melts too fast. In others, the rains come too late. Overgrazing, road construction, and illegal flower-picking have also affected their survival.

“Twenty years ago, these hills were full of red,” says Azad Mahmoud, a shepherd in Hakkari Province. “Now, you’re lucky to see a few.”

Kurdistan is still protective of its natural resources, but climate change is not a local issue – it is a global issue with regional severity. Mahmoud also blames deforestation and other unnatural changes: “desertification, drought, and conflict have played a role,” he adds. “The worst may be yet to come unless we act together to restore nature’s order.”

Fortunately, not all hope is lost. In Kurdistan, local groups are working to save the Gul-Shler. The Kurdistan Botanical Foundation is teaching people how to protect the flower and plant it responsibly. In 2023, they launched a program called Guardians of the Gul-Shler, where students learn to replant bulbs and take care of mountain habitats.

Outside Kurdistan, the flower has caught the eye of gardeners in Europe and North America. Some farms now grow Kurdish tulips for export, which helps reduce the pressure on wild plants. But this has also raised concerns like whether such mass-production diminishes the flower’s cultural meaning or introduces new ecological risks.

In a positive turn of events, Kurdish women in Duhok Province have a sustainable model: growing Kurdish tulips in protected gardens, selling the bulbs abroad, and reinvesting profits to replant flowers in the wild. This business model reflects an innovative way to protect their culture, piece by piece and story by story.

The restoration of cultural heritage and protection of the environment is more than just a conservation effort; it is a continuation of a story that spans thousands of years. For the Kurdish people, it reflects their deep, lived history of holding onto their land, their identity, and the natural beauty that defines their home.

In a land where life has never been easy, where people have faced war, exile, and neglect, the Kurdish tulip’s story is one of survival, beauty, and meaning. It reminds us that some things bloom only through struggle, and that to protect the land is to protect the soul of a people.

And so, each spring, the mountains may still turn red with the Kurdish tulip. Delicate but determined, this flower teaches us what it means to hold on, to stand tall, and to bloom even when the world tries to stop you.

Rezhin Ahmad is a journalist based in Erbil, Kurdistan Region.