Photo by @alice.zoo Ferula drudeana, the plant believed to be Silphion, is growing on the side of an active volcano in central Turkey. We finally approached it back in May after a day-long journey over land from Istanbul via taxi, train, and SUV, excited to see the mythical plant that botanists have been searching for for centuries. Crops and wildflowers grew in the surrounding fields, giving us a preview of the beauty of the garden still to come. The rest of the story is online @natgeo now - follow me @alice.zoo for more images from this story along with other projects about ritual and meaning. #NatGeo #NationalGeographic #Silphion