One of the most important attractions in the prefecture of Kilkis is the Balkan Botanic Garden of Kroussia. It is located in Pontokerasia, a village near Kilkis, about 70 kilometers from Thessaloniki. The garden is located in the deciduous oak forests of Mount Mavrovouni, part of the Kroussia mountain range, at an altitude of 600 meters.
BBGK’s mission is to support research, maintenance, propagation, evaluation, conservation and sustainable use of the native plants of Greece and the Balkans, combined with raising public awareness of the environment.
The garden was founded May 19, 2001, following an initiative of the Hellenic Agricultural Organization “Demeter”, and became a member of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) in the same year. It features a diverse flora that includes both endemic species as well as species indigenous to the Balkans, and plants from all over Greece, including the island of Crete.
The garden covers an area of 31 hectares (310,000 square meters), half of which is covered by natural oak forest. In the forest, hundreds of indigenous species and subspecies are preserved, both ex situ and in situ. In the rest of the garden, species of Greek flora are cultivated ex situ, including more than 90 taxa from over 150 categories. These include rare and endemic species, including remarkable populations of at least eight different orchid species.
There are over 8,000 different plant species and subspecies on the Balkan Peninsula, a significant proportion of which are endemic and do not grow in any other region of the world.
Visitors to the Botanic Garden have the opportunity to explore the following zones: the seasonal biodiversity path, the alpine and alpine subalpine plant growth area, the grassland biodiversity and the adventure path. Signage and maps are available in Greek and English.
The garden also features a tree grove with shrubs and trees from around Greece, lakes and small waterfalls with aquatic vegetation, a wide variety of aromatic, medicinal and flowering plants and the Garden of Senses with buildings that host annual photographic exhibitions on plants.
BBGK prioritizes Greek endemic plants with a narrow distribution, Balkan endemic plants with a narrow distribution, endemic plants to the collective region of the Balkans, and native plants with aromatic-medicinal properties, alimentary value, ornamental-floricultural or breeding potential. Many hundreds of plant-collecting expeditions have been organized in all phytogeographical regions of Greece to collect seeds, bulbs, rhizomes, cuttings and living individuals from the wild.
N.M. (Based on an original article in Griechenland Aktuell; intro image: Entrance to the garden, by Nikthymakis via Wikimedia Commons)
TAGS: AGRICULTURE | NATURE | TRAVEL
