The Ters Lale (Fritillaria) Collection Garden, established at the Erzincan Horticultural Research Institute, is attracting growing attention from both visitors and scientists thanks to its rich plant diversity, endemic species and ongoing research activities.
As part of the “Development of Turkish Fritillaria Species and Introduction of New Varieties to the Sector Project,” studies continue on registering and protecting ornamental plants found in nature.
Thanks to nearly 20 years of research by agricultural engineers, four fritillaria varieties named “Vuslat,” “Aslay,” “Doğu Güneşi” and “Meftun” have been registered and introduced to the ornamental plant sector.
In addition to fritillaries, the collection garden hosts a wide range of endemic plant species. It serves as a research site for visiting scientists from Türkiye and abroad while also becoming an important stop for botanical tourism enthusiasts.
Project coordinator and agricultural engineer Meral Aslay said the center has recently gained prominence in botanical tourism thanks to scientific studies and academic publications.
She noted that the facility initially focused on production and breeding work but has gradually evolved into a structure that provides both social and scientific value.
Highlighting that visitors can observe a large number of species in a short time, Aslay said: “In nature, you would need to walk 3 – 4 hours just to see a single plant species, and even then, not all varieties. Here, visitors can see nearly 100 geophyte species and 38 fritillaria species. They also have the chance to observe hybrid varieties we have developed here that they would not see or experience anywhere else. So, when they come, they can explore many plant species and varieties all in one garden.”
HH Only fritillaria collection garden in Türkiye
Aslay said they are working on projects to further develop the garden into a full botanical garden concept amid growing interest.
“We are the only fritillaria collection garden in Türkiye. In addition to many endemic species, we host fritillaria types that people may be seeing for the first time in their lives. When our botanical garden concept is completed, visitors will be able to see many Türkiye-specific endemic plants here,” she said.
She added that the garden already hosts a limited number of foreign visitors each year, particularly scientists and nature enthusiasts and that improving physical conditions would further increase interest.
Aslay concluded that even in its current form, the garden contributes significantly to botanical tourism and that planned projects will help Erzincan gain a stronger position in this field.
