PLANT FROM THE PAST

by Dimana Trankova; photography by Anthony Georgieff

In Britain and Ireland it is invasive. In Bulgaria it is symbol of Strandzha Mountains

8a755a452008086b374631012e7b5429_XL.jpg

The importance of a plant species can vary according to the ecosystem it is part of. A beautiful plant that grows in a very limited area in Bulgaria is a case in point.

Rhododendron ponticum, or Strandzhanska zelenika, is a rare and rewarding sight when you are exploring the Strandzha, the mountains on Bulgaria's southeastern border with Turkey. Growing up to 5 metres tall, the shrub has dark, evergreen leaves and violet-purple flowers. It blossoms in May, adding vivid splashes of colour to the thick foliage of the pristine Strandzha forests. Its preferred habitat is the shady and damp cover of tall trees such as beech and oak.

The Strandzha is one of only two places in Europe where Rhododendron ponticum grows naturally. The other is in the Caucasus, in Georgia. Fossil record shows that this was not always so. Before the last Ice Age hit the planet 20,000 years ago, covering Europe with a thick layer of snow and ice, Rhododendron ponticum was common on the continent.

Today, all that remains are the pockets of Rhododendron ponticum in the Strandzha and the Caucasus, and of Rhododendron ponticum baeticum subspecies in Spain and Portugal. In Asia, the plant faired better and can be found in Turkey, Lebanon, the Himalayas, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Rhododendron ponticum

A sign of climate change: This winter, it was reported that Strandzha Rhododendron ponticum blossomed twice, in November and February, long before usual

The rarity and beauty of Rhododendron ponticum is why it is an emblematic plant for the Strandzha, a geographical area that is a haven for rare species owing to its centuries-long isolation. A special festival is dedicated to the plant, in Kosti Village, in May.

Rhododendron ponticum also has healing properties. Traditional medicine prescribed its dried flowers for the treatment of rheumatism. Due to the andromedotoxin in them, they should only be applied to the skin. If you are walking in the Strandzha and see a plant in flower, abstain from picking its buds. They will not poison you, but the plant is protected in Bulgaria and picking any plants in the Strandzha National Park is forbidden anyway.

While Rhododendron ponticum is rare and protected in Bulgaria, in Western Europe it is simply a pest. The West discovered the plant in the 18th century via travellers to the Near East. In 1763, it was introduced as an ornamental plant in Britain, quickly becoming a favourite of gardeners who valued it as a rootstock for grafting on other Rhododendron species deemed more beautiful.

The plant did well in its new home, and took over much of Western Europe as well as parts of New Zealand. Its presence in the local ecosystems has had a lasting effect, as its nectar proved lethal for several bee species.

The story of Rhododendron ponticum is one about the perils of survival, the importance of adaptation and the unpredictable consequences of human intervention in established ecosystems. When in the Strandzha you can enjoy Rhododendron ponticum guilt-free, as it is at home here, in the thick forests that have preserved life since the last Ice Age.

  • COMMENTING RULES

    Commenting on www.vagabond.bg

    Vagabond Media Ltd requires you to submit a valid email to comment on www.vagabond.bg to secure that you are not a bot or a spammer. Learn more on how the company manages your personal information on our Privacy Policy. By filling the comment form you declare that you will not use www.vagabond.bg for the purpose of violating the laws of the Republic of Bulgaria. When commenting on www.vagabond.bg please observe some simple rules. You must avoid sexually explicit language and racist, vulgar, religiously intolerant or obscene comments aiming to insult Vagabond Media Ltd, other companies, countries, nationalities, confessions or authors of postings and/or other comments. Do not post spam. Write in English. Unsolicited commercial messages, obscene postings and personal attacks will be removed without notice. The comments will be moderated and may take some time to appear on www.vagabond.bg.

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

Discover More

DAYS AT SEA: HEAD NORTH!
Summer is here, so going to the seaside for some fun, sun, sand and a swim is no longer a whim – it is a necessity! But where should you go?

SEXY STATUES OF COMMUNISM
Devoted freedom fighters, manly Red Army soldiers and workers, visionary or thoughtful Communist leaders: this is what comes to mind when we think of Communist-era public art statues and monuments.

MAGIC OF CHIPROVTSI CARPETS
Authenticity, genuine patterns and natural materials are all the rage in interior design today.

PURPLE CRAZE
Let's try a thought experiment. You are in a closed room, without windows, with only a smartphone connected to the Bulgarian Facebook, to get information about what is going on in the country and the world.

FIREWALKING FOR BEGINNERS
A group of barefoot men and women dancing in a large circle of live embers, while hypnotic music beats a rhythm that gets under your skin and into your blood: Firewalker dances in Bulgaria are a spectacular rite to watch.

BULGARIA'S ROCK ENIGMA
When the first European travellers saw Pobiti Kamani near Varna, they could not believe his eyes.

VALLEY OF ROSES
Oh, the Bulgarian rose! From promotional videos to bars of soap sold in tourist traps across the country, the image and scent of the emblematic flower has become synonymous with Bulgaria itself.

WHO WAS HRISTO BOTEV?
From Lord Byron to Hungary's Sándor Petőfi to Cuba's José Martí: poetry has a fair share of authors who deserved to be labelled revolutionary not only because of their groundbreaking stanzas and language, but also for their p

BULGARIAN X FILES
From Roswell to Project Blue Book in the United States and Project Condign in the UK, the military have always been interested in finding possible extraterrestrials on planet Earth. The Bulgarian Army is no exception.

BEST OF THE BULGARIAN DANUBE
If there is one river that defines Europe in terms of landscape, history and economy, it is the Danube, a 2,850 kilometre ribbon of water that flows from the Black Forest in Germany to the Black Sea in Romania.

A MAN AND HIS BICYCLE
In the days of overtourism, selfies and Airbnbs there are still hardcore travellers who want to leave the comforts of home and explore new places, people and cultures, even if it often means sleeping in a tent in a remote mountain village.

THE MONKS WHO CHANGED EUROPE
The image of two men, one young and sporting a dark beard and the other older and white-bearded, with books and parchments in their hands, are to be found all over Bulgaria. There are countless statues and posters, church murals and icons.