This year, spring arrived in Turkmenistan 15 days earlier than average, leading to the early blooming of unique plants, according to the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan.

In the first half of March, mountain slopes were covered with a variety of colors, although typically primroses bloom gradually one after another.

On the slopes of the Koytendag mountains, ephemeroids—plants with a short but vivid life cycle—have come to life. They rush to bloom while the soil remains moist. These include various species of tulips, crocuses, yellow goose onion, and others. This year, the golden leaves of the yellow goose onion appeared very early and densely at the foothills of Koytendag. They were followed by blooming crocuses and Kesselring’s colchicums, and later by Korolkov’s saffron.

Fedchenko’s primrose, with its delicate pink-purple flowers, adorned shady rocks and moist areas. Ephemeroids take advantage of the short period between winter cold and summer drought to grow, bloom, and spread their seeds within a few weeks. As soon as air temperatures rise above zero, they begin to grow rapidly, using nutrients stored in their bulbs and roots.