Kazakhstan has a rich plant world that encompasses a variety of plant species adapted to the different habitats and conditions of the region.

Several plants that have been domesticated worldwide originate from this largest landlocked country:

Apples

The first apples originated in the region of present-day Kazakhstan, north of today’s Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan, where wild varieties underwent natural selection, resulting in the emergence of the first cultivated apple varieties. This region is considered the birthplace of many fruit species, including apples. According to genetic research, wild apple varieties from Kazakhstan are considered the ancestors of the modern apple varieties that we know today. From there, apples spread through trade, migrations, and cultivation worldwide.

Traders, travelers, and explorers brought apples with them on their journeys and spread them to different parts of the world.

Human migrations also contributed to the spread of apples. As people moved and settled in different areas, they brought with them their cultures and customs, including the cultivation of various plant species like apples. People actively cultivated apples and traded seeds and seedlings, enabling the rapid spread of different apple varieties worldwide. In ancient times, people spread apples from the Middle East to neighboring regions through trade and migrations. This is usually dated back several thousand years. During ancient civilizations such as Greece and the Roman Empire, apples were known and valued. Trade and military campaigns helped spread apple culture in Europe and elsewhere.

In the Middle Ages and beyond, European explorers, traders, and colonizers spread apples to America, Africa, Australia, and other parts of the world. In the last few centuries, with globalization and advancements in transportation, different apple varieties have become widely distributed worldwide. Today, apples are popular and widespread in almost every corner of the world, and there is intensive cultivation and trade of various varieties.

Over time, different apple varieties have adapted to different climatic conditions and environments worldwide.

Birds and other animals played a role in spreading apples by carrying seeds through their dietary habits. Birds that consumed apples would transfer seeds to new areas through their droppings, thus facilitating the spread of apple trees. Kazakhstan is known for its wild grains, such as wild barley, wild wheat, and other types of wild grasses that were important in the diet of the local population.

Tulips

Although tulips are often associated with the Netherlands today, their origins are actually from Central Asia, not just Kazakhstan. Countries where wild tulips grow include Kazakhstan, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of Central Asia. Turkey is often considered the homeland of tulips because of the origin of the plant’s name. It was named after the Turkish word “tülbent,” meaning “turban,” probably because of the resemblance of the flower to the shape of a turban.

Wild tulips grow in regions that later became part of Kazakhstan, so it is claimed that they originally originated in Kazakhstan. Therefore, it can be said that tulips originate from Central Asia, but not necessarily only from Kazakhstan. In that region, wild tulips still grow in nature. Tulips found their way to widespread global popularity thanks to traders, travelers, and botanists.

The Ottoman Empire played a leading role in spreading tulips worldwide in the 16th and 17th centuries. Turkish traders brought tulips to Europe, where they quickly became popular among wealthy citizens.

In Europe, especially in the Netherlands, tulips became a symbol of wealth and prestige.

Tulip mania, an economic phenomenon in the 17th century in the Netherlands, marked incredibly high prices for tulips and general euphoria surrounding their trade and cultivation. Prices of up to 20,000 euros in today’s money were recorded for a single tulip bulb. Tulip trading became very profitable. This spurred growing interest and euphoria about tulips among wealthy traders and citizens. The Dutch breeders became known for their crossing techniques and cultivation of various tulip varieties, resulting in a wide variety of colors and shapes.

Saffron

One of the plants considered to originate from Kazakhstan is saffron (Crocus sativus), a plant known for its flowers from which saffron, one of the most expensive spices in the world, is obtained. Kazakhstan is one of the countries with a history of saffron cultivation, although it is also grown in other parts of the world.

Kazakhstan is home to many plants that have become widely distributed and have played an important role in human history, culture, and economy worldwide. Examples include apples, which have spread and become one of the most popular fruits in the world, as well as saffron, which has become a valued spice and medicinal plant. Kazakhstan has a rich plant world that has contributed to global biological diversity and human civilization through various plant species that originated or were cultivated in the region.