A study on the continuity of the meanings of plants used in cultural landscapes in collective memory

People do not wish to perceive the world as a chaotic and incomprehensible mass; instead, they strive to understand and dominate it. The concept of cultural landscape comes into play here, acting as a medium for interpreting the environment. In defining the environment within cultural landscape design, plants play a crucial role. Plants serve as carriers of cultural richness; however, their symbolic meanings and psychological impacts on humans are often overlooked today. This study was conducted to determine the place of the meanings carried by plants used in landscape design within the collective memory of society. Based on sources examining the cultural meanings of plants, ten plants frequently referenced in terms of meaning and commonly used in cultural landscape design were selected. A survey was developed to identify the meanings of these plants as recognized by participants. The survey consisted of five sections. The first section obtained participants' consent to participate. The second section determined whether participants agreed with the idea that plants have cultural meanings. The third section assessed participant profiles. The fourth section identified the level of awareness of the cultural meanings of plants among users. The fifth section explored the impacts of plants' semantic and physical characteristics on individuals and assessed the importance of these plants to participants. The survey was administered to residents of Istanbul, and the results were analyzed using the IBM SPSS 26 statistical software package. The survey, applied to 418 participants and completed by 411, revealed that certain plants were more commonly associated with specific meanings. These included the cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) with "height," the olive tree (Olea europaea) with "peace," the black pine (Pinus nigra) with "strength," the beech tree (Fagus sylvatica) with "happiness," the oak tree (Quercus cerris) with "resilience," the plane tree (Platanus orientalis) with "longevity," the weeping willow (Salix babylonica) with "submission," the white poplar (Populus alba) with "grandeur," the apple tree (Malus sp.) with "fulfillment," and the juniper (Juniperus sp.) with "protection." In conclusion, this study contributes to the knowledge in this field by demonstrating that cultural landscapes reflect not only the physical environment but also the historical, social, and cultural identities of societies. Based on the findings, one of the recommendations for preserving and sustaining the cultural meanings of plants is to prioritize the use of plants with traditional and cultural significance in the design of public spaces. This approach can contribute to both the preservation of cultural heritage and the strengthening of collective memory. January 2025, 146 pages Keywords: cultural landscape, symbolic plants, collective memory, plant meanings