In the times of Gogol, the flower believed to indicate buried treasure was the mythical midnight fire flower of the fern. To be fair, ferns don’t actually bloom; they reproduce through spores, tiny dust particles that can only be seen under a microscope.
Yet, there are flowers that can point to hidden treasures in the ground. However, these treasures aren’t pots of ancient gold coins or boxes of pearls. The treasures indicated by these flowers are far more valuable—deposits of copper, gold, zinc, oil, and aluminum.
In Altai, there grows a plant called kachim, which resembles a larger tumbleweed, reaching up to a meter in height. Kachim typically appears in areas where copper ore lies beneath the surface.
This thorny plant was once cursed by geologists, as it caused them much inconvenience. Whenever they began exploring for copper ore veins, they would inevitably stumble upon colonies of thorns. It was noted that kachim has a “preference” for copper. Over time, this plant transformed from an enemy into a friend, helping to locate valuable copper deposits.
There are also species of violets that only grow at zinc ore outcrops. Tulips have been found that change color and shape when iron salt deposits are present beneath their roots.
Even uranium deposits can now be detected with the help of one of these flowering plants.