The old plane tree

Overview

From ancient times there is a legend that says that when a child is born, a tree must be planted so that the child can grow with the tree - to know and respect his Bulgarian roots, to draw strength and power under his crown.
More than 680 years ago, a plane tree grew in the city of Stara Zagora. It has been declared a natural landmark by order № 995 of 20.IV.1960 of the General Directorate of Forestry of the city of Sofia on the grounds of Art. 16 of the 165th Decree of the Council of Ministers of 05.VIII.1958 and is in the state register under № 385.
Its location is in the area "Bedechia" - now the park "Bedechka", located 0.5 km from the main road Stara Zagora - Kazanlak. The park itself occupies an area of ​​1,060 decares and was afforested in 1958. The Bedechka River, 34 km long, flows a few meters from the plane tree and is a left tributary of the Sazliyka River. It has been declared a protected site, as a lone plane tree of historical significance.
As a deciduous tree, it is the Eastern plane tree (Platanus orientalis), with a diameter at the base of 3.5 m and a circumference of 11 m, and its height is 17 m. Presler's drill determines its age. It has a powerfully developed crown and light green bark on the stem and skeletal branches. The leaves are large, palmate and arranged on long stalks. There are uniquely beautiful ten skeletal branches, wrapped like ornaments. Five of them are supported by metal structures so that they do not break due to their weight, and one branch is struck by lightning.
The eating of the stem over the years and the huge hollow in the plane tree threaten the integrity of the tree. This forced a group of landscape architects in the 1980s to take steps to rehabilitate it. Reinforcement is made with iron rods and cement screed. The filling is with special mixtures.
Although a new park is currently being built in Stara Zagora on the site of the former artillery barracks, the already finished and forested park "Bedechka", which is home to the century-old tree, is to be felled and built. The Bedechka case clearly shows the need for a complete overhaul of legislation in this area.
The proposal came from the author of the general development plan of the city - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arch. Borisov. If the current construction plan remains, tens of millions will have to come out of the municipal pocket in the coming years for the design and implementation of new streets, bridges, roundabouts, all other infrastructure, etc.
History of the plane tree
A Turkish bay had a sarai /palace/ at this place. After a long journey, he brought a small tree to his beloved wife from Anatolia and planted it in the middle of his garden. It was supposed to be the guardian of his konak /palace/, to attract lightning like a magnet on itself and to protect the lives of the people there. He majestically and proudly resisted the elements and was a silent witness to the troubles and misfortunes of our enslaved people. It survived the five fires of our city and awaited its Liberation. As it is close to the Chadur mogila Mound, the plane tree is also a contemporary of the epic battles that took place near our city. The positions of the Russian soldiers who fought near Stara Zagora were also nearby. During the retreat of the Turkish army, he left the bey, but before that he buried a cauldron with 300 kg of gold near the plane tree.
Years passed. The liberation remained in the past… An adult from Stara Zagora had a garden (bahcha) south of the ancient tree and knew Turkish. One day he saw two Turks by the tree and overheard their conversation. One of them pulled out a card from a special metal box with a lid. It was drawn on leather with the Old Plane Tree marked and two signs in different directions. There they searched for the treasure buried since the time when Stara Zagora was called Eski-Zagra. In Turkish times, the Old Plane Tree was also a remarkable natural site to be marked as a landmark, and the sketch itself was passed down from father to son over several Turkish generations.
In 1943, treasure hunters dug up the entire area around the tree without finding anything. They were frightened by a dragon, 5 m long and 20 cm thick, which lived in the hollow and root of the plane tree. Now there are other guardians near the plane tree: in the south - a young plane tree, in the west - a beautiful large walnut, in the north - an old chestnut, and in the east the sun rises.
Our plane tree is one of the oldest trees in Bulgaria and deserves to win the competition "Tree with a root", and then to represent Stara Zagora and Bulgaria at the competition "European Tree of the Year 2016".