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5 plants worth knowing

Albania

Albania is a land of contrasts: a narrow coastal plain with maquis, olive groves and lagoons is hemmed in by steep mountains – the Albanian Alps in the north, Mount Korab in the east and the limestone ranges of the south. The coast has a Mediterranean climate, while the interior has a mountain climate with freezing winters. Oak, beech, chestnut and pine forests cover about a third of the country, and the sunny limestone slopes abound in the herbs for which Albania is famous worldwide.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Olive 1

    tree

    Olive

    Olea europaea

    Albania’s olive groves are centuries old – olive oil from Berat and Vlorë is the pride of Albanian cooking and village life.
  2. Sage 2

    dwarf shrub

    Sage

    Salvia officinalis

    Albania is one of the world’s biggest exporters of sage – most of it is hand-picked from wild plants on limestone slopes.
  3. Sideritis raeseri 3

    perennial

    Sideritis raeseri

    Sideritis raeseri

    “Çaj mali”, or mountain tea, is Albania’s favourite infusion – bunches of dried ironwort are sold at every bazaar.
  4. Oriental plane 4

    tree

    Oriental plane

    Platanus orientalis

    For centuries Albanian villages gathered in the shade of a great plane tree – the “rrapi” – and many of these trees are hundreds of years old.
  5. Sweet chestnut 5

    tree

    Sweet chestnut

    Castanea sativa

    The chestnut forests of northern Albania have given mountain villages food, timber and a prized dark honey for generations.