Its native range extends from Portugal and Morocco to western China, covering most of the Mediterranean and Black Sea Basins, and Central Asia.

The species is also cultivated as an ornamental and naturalized in central and northern Europe as well as a few scattered locations in North America.

[6] It is a bulb-forming perennial, with narrow blue-grey leaves and usually with 1 or 2 flowers per stem.

The scented blooms appear between April and May,[6] and the yellow flowers are sometimes tinged red on the outside.

[6] Some tuliposides - a family of biochemicals -found in Tulipa sylvestris include:[11] Source: Plants of the World Online[2] Tulipa australis is also found on the island of Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea, limited to one specific area.