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8 plants worth knowing

Bulgaria

Bulgaria is crossed by the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina), which separate the Danubian Plain in the north from the Upper Thracian Plain in the south – both once covered in forest-steppe and oak woods, and now taken up by fields, orchards and rose plantations. In the south-west rise the Rila, Pirin and Rhodope mountains, with pine and spruce forests and a rich high-mountain flora. The country has one of the richest floras in Europe, with more than 4,000 species, including several hundred Balkan and Bulgarian endemics.

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

where it grows

  1. Damask rose 1

    shrub · Unofficial symbol of Bulgaria

    Damask rose

    Rosa × damascena

    Bulgarian rose oil from the Rose Valley is “liquid gold” – a single kilogram takes about 3 tonnes of hand-picked petals.
  2. English lavender 2

    crop

    English lavender

    Lavandula angustifolia

    The purple fields of Dobruja and Thrace have made Bulgaria the world’s largest producer of lavender oil – ahead of Provence.
  3. Orpheus flower 3

    perennial

    Orpheus flower

    Haberlea rhodopensis

    The “Orpheus flower” can dry out almost completely and come back to life after rain – it grows only in the Balkans.
  4. Bosnian pine 4

    tree

    Bosnian pine

    Pinus heldreichii

    Pirin is home to the “Baikushev pine” – a Bosnian pine about 1,300 years old and one of Bulgaria’s oldest trees.
  5. Bigroot geranium 5

    perennial · Traditional symbol of health and prosperity in Bulgaria

    Bigroot geranium

    Geranium macrorrhizum

    Fragrant “zdravets” – from the word for “health” – is a plant of Bulgarian rituals, used for good wishes, welcoming guests and blessing water.
  6. Grapevine 6

    crop

    Grapevine

    Vitis vinifera

    Bulgaria has grown vines since Thracian times, and in February it celebrates Trifon Zarezan – the feast of winegrowers and vine pruning.
  7. Macedonian pine 7

    tree

    Macedonian pine

    Pinus peuce

    The Balkan Macedonian pine forms the high-mountain forests of Pirin and Rila – among the most valuable protected forests in Bulgaria.
  8. Chili pepper 8

    crop

    Chili pepper

    Capsicum annuum

    Roasted peppers are the basis of Bulgarian lyutenitsa and kyopolou – in autumn courtyards and balconies smell of peppers being roasted for winter.