Plants and migration

Abstract

The article focuses on the ethnobotany, analysing the migration of plants that accompany Bulgarians to new destinations. The functions and meanings of these plants are outlined. Plants ‘in migration’ in this way are considered in the light of the relationship between culture and place. Some plants perceived as traditionally Bulgarian are rediscovered and transferred to the receiving country and are present in the stories, cultural practices, and everyday lives of migrants. These plants can be examined through the lens of sensory anthropology, as bearers of knowledge and emotion through perception in the form of vision, smell, touch, taste. Plants can be seen as a synecdoche of the homeland. According to the interviews, Bulgarians abroad perceive some plants as emblematic of Bulgaria. Plants transported abroad are recognised by migrants as Bulgarian cultural heritage, through which cultural values and symbols are maintained. Bulgarians take abroad plants that give them aesthetic pleasure and remind them of Bulgaria, of home, of family, of childhood. An emotional connection with the homeland is also provided by the plants, the cultivation of which in the new place is an experiment with no guarantee of success. ‘Bulgarian’ plants taken and grown abroad (flowers, fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs) offer a wealth of sensory perception and have an aroma and/or taste often defined by respondents as the “aroma and taste of Bulgaria”. Plants in migration develop versatile functionality, facilitate adaptation, and concentrate narratives.