WCSP (2017, citing Tutin et al. 1980, Davis 1984, Everett 2013, Christenhusz et al. 2013) considers this species to be a synonym of Tulipa orphanidea Boiss. ex Heldr. sensu lato. However Tulipa hageri Heldr. and T. orphanidea are considered distinct species according to Strid and Tan (1991), Zonneveld (2009), van Raamsdonk and De Vries (1992), van Raamsdonk et al. (1997), and Dimopoulos et al. 2022). According to van Raamsdonk and De Vries (1992), T. hageri, T. orphanidea and T. whittallii A. D. Hall are distinct species occurring exclusively in the Aegean region (including Asia Minor) with T. hageri being the most widespread. According to Zonnenveld (2009) Tulipa orphanidea includes three geographically isolated subspecies: subsp. orphanidea (southern mainland Greece), subsp. whittallii (Dykes) Zonn. (= T. whittallii Dykes, endemic to western Türkiye), and subsp. doerfleri (= T. doerfleri) endemic to Crete.

According to Flora Europaea (Tutin et al. 1980) and Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean islands (Davis 1984), Tulipa hageri (Parnitha, Penteli) is included in T. orphanidea with the following distribution: Greece Gr-Cr/Pe, StE, NE, KK, Bulgaria, Turkey; E. Mediterranean element).

Furthermore, T. hageri var. thasia was described as a distinct taxon based on specimens collected from Thasos Island (Stojanov and Kitannnov), but this taxon is absent from any documented flora.

In the context of this assessment, T. hageri is considered as a separate and valid taxon.

The distribution of Tulipa hageri encompasses southern Greece (Peloponnisos and Sterea Ellas), found predominantly in xeric Mediterranean phrygana and grasslands as well as in agricultural habitats such as cereal fields and abandoned cultivated lands, with a restricted area of occupancy (AOO) (32 km²) and an extent of occurrence (EOO) of less than 20,000 km².

According to Pipinis et al. (2023) and Bilias et al. (2023), most Greek tulip species mainly suffer from modernised agricultural activities, including deep ploughing and widespread application of pesticides and agrochemicals, habitat fragmentation or habitat degradation, land-use or vegetation changes, and seasonal over-collection from the wild, leading to the reduction of their populations at local scales. T. hageri occurs mainly in fields that have been traditionally managed but have undergone conversion for different agricultural uses, leading to substantial habitat degradation and population declines of up to 50% in the past decade. The latter has been evidenced by many local farmers and citizens in Peloponissos and Sterea Hellas after informal interviews during extensive and authorised rescue collections of selected germplasm for conservation purposes (Krigas, pers. com., Pipinis et al. 2023, Bilias et al. 2023), and mostly refer to abandonment of cereal crop rotation with legumes in plateaus in favour of potato or other vegetable cultivations.

The taxon is protected under the Greek Law (Presidential Decree 67/1981) and it occurs in at least one protected area, the Parnitha National Park (also Natura 2000 site). Further taxonomic investigation is needed into members of the genus Tulipa in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean area to shed light into district taxonomic entities.

Considering all the above, T. hageri is assessed as Endangered (EN) under criterion A2cd.

Tulipa hageri is an endemic species restricted to southern Greece (Peloponnisos and Sterea Ellas) and locally to Northern Greece (Pipinis et al. 2023).

According to Pipinis et al. (2023) and Bilias et al. (2023) the species mainly suffers from modernised agricultural activities, including deep ploughing and widespread application of pesticides and agrochemicals, habitat fragmentation or habitat degradation, land-use or vegetation changes, and seasonal over-collection from the wild, causing the reduction of the total population. These threats have resulted in an inferred decline in the population size up to 50% in the past decade, as a significant amount of plant individuals and their habitat have been altered or destroyed. The latter has been evidenced by many local farmers and citizens in Peloponissos and Sterea Hellas after informal interviews during extensive and authorised rescue collections of selected germplasm for conservation purposes (Krigas pers. com., Pipinis et al. 2023, Bilias et al. 2023), and mostly refer to abandonment of cereal crop rotation with legumes in plateaus in favour of potato or other vegetable cultivations.

Dimopoulos et al. (2022) describe the general habitat category of T. hageri as xeric Mediterranean phrygana and grasslands, agricultural (and ruderal) habitats, more specifically referring to cereal fields and abandoned cultivated lands (Pipinis et al. 2023). The flowering of the species starts and usually ends in April. The abiotic environmental parameters characterising the natural habitats of T. hageri are reported in detail by Pipinis et al. (2023).

According to Pipinis et al. (2023), T. hageri mainly suffers from modernised agricultural activities, including deep ploughing and widespread application of pesticides and agrochemicals, habitat fragmentation or habitat degradation, land-use or vegetation changes, and seasonal flower, bulb and/or seed over-collection from the wild.

The species is widely cultivated for ornamental purposes and it is traded over the internet at high prices (Krigas et al. 2021).

Tulipa hageri is protected under the Greek Law (Presidential Decree 67/1981) and it occurs in at least one protected area, the Parnitha National Park (also Natura 2000 site). Seeds and bulbs of the species are ex-situ maintained at the premises of the Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Agricultural Organization Demeter (Krigas et al. 2021, Pipinis et al. 2023, Bilias et al. 2023). Further taxonomic investigation is needed into members of the genus Tulipa in the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean area to shed light into distinct biological entities.