The Caucasian flora in ethnographical gardens of Lithuania

Abstract

The Caucasus region is characterized by a wide variety of climatic conditions, which are close related to the rich vegetation, with numerous species of plants. Today many of the representatives of the Caucasus flora are cultivated in other geographical regions of similar climate conditions. Baltic States, among them Lithuania are not an exception. Some of those Caucasian plant species became a part of flora of Lithuanian gardens. In years 2016-2018 the Lithuanian Plant Gene Bank in collaboration with Vilnius University Botanical Garden and Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University carried out investigation of ornamental and pharmaceutical/spice plants grown in 36 old homesteads of Lithuanian. As a result of the inventory 394 plant species were recorded there: 131 of them are characteristic for the Caucasus flora. About a half of the listed species are indigenous plants both in the Caucasus and Lithuania. The rest were introduced to Lithuania during centuries and have spread within gardens of monasteries, manors and villages. Nowadays they are found in Lithuanian ethnographic gardens. According to the introduction time there are four groups of Caucasian plants grown in Lithuania: 1) plants grown since 14-15th centuries (7 species); 2) plants grown since the 16-17th centuries (8 species) 3) plants grown since 18-19th centuries (23 species); 4) plants grown since the 20th century (22 species). Some of those plants became very traditional for the Lithuanian gardening culture, being used in ethnographic gardens of the country (for many tasks) during decades and centuries. That was the reason, that some of them (the most valuable specimens of 25 species, indicated after careful assessment of the material) became a part of the National List of Plant Genetic Resources of Lithuania. These plants were propagated and collected in national collections (in botanical gardens). [...]