On June 24, we celebrate Enyovden - the festival of medicinal herbs. Ivan Bilober, Yanevden, Ivanden - the festival goes by various names across the country, and all are linked to centuries-old traditions and the celebration of nature’s healing power.

Bulgarian flora comprises over 4300 species of higher plants, of which about 770 are medicinal, and of those, over 270 are herbs used to produce food, pharmaceutical, perfume, and cosmetic products.

To protect this wealth, since 2000 Bulgaria has been the only country in the European Union to have a separate Law on Medicinal Plants. The law aims to ensure their sustainable use and the protection of their natural habitats for future generations. Some species are subject to a special regime for conservation and use, and the law designates the institutions responsible for monitoring the sustainable use of medicinal plants. These are the regional offices of the Ministries of Environment and Water and of Agriculture and Food. They register and monitor the collection and processing centers for herbs. They also issue permits authorizing the collection of herbs for commercial purposes.

At the beginning of each year, the Minister of Environment and Water issues an order designating 24 species of medicinal plants that are prohibited from being collected for commercial purposes. Permissible quantities are set for another 12 species. These include Mursal tea, red peony, alder buckthorn, medicinal primrose, catnip, Lazarus herb, madwort, medicinal ranunculus, stemless clematis, stinging nettle, sour thistle, and shapiche.

Special attention must be paid to medicinal plants under special protection measures. There are 61 protected species of medicinal plants under the Biodiversity Act that are endangered, have small populations, and are prohibited from being collected. This means that picking, uprooting, and selling them are prohibited, as these actions lead to the loss of their natural habitats.

The tradition of Enyovden dictates that people gather herbs from meadows, pastures, and mountain slopes even before sunrise. The Ministry of Environment and Water (MOSV) urges citizens to harvest herbs responsibly. Most of the herbs that are collected, purchased, traded , and processed in Bulgaria are harvested from the wild. However, wild resources are not inexhaustible, so we must use them very carefully—preserving medicinal plants and cultivating those that can be grown. When collecting herbs, plants should not be uprooted unless absolutely necessary. To preserve the natural balance, it is also important that part of the populations remain intact to ensure natural regeneration. It is recommended to collect only well-known species. An interesting fact is that belladonna is one of the most valuable medicinal plants in Bulgaria, but it is also highly poisonous; therefore, its collection and use require specialized knowledge and strict supervision.

Biodiversity experts remind us that people living in regions near these natural habitats play an important role in their conservation. Specialists urge local residents to report illegal purchasing, cutting, or destruction to regulatory agencies and local authorities.

More information on medicinal plants can be found here: https://www.moew.government.bg/bg/priroda/biologichno-raznoobrazie/lechebni-rasteniya/