#ticinomoments 2023

18 #ticinomoments
Ticino’s botanical treasures
Plant care is a precious art. Thanks to the mild climate, the entire region is home to
different plant species, some of which are extremely rare and protected. It is essential
to know about them in order to safeguard them. ticino.ch/botany
PEONY
This protected species
with its vibrant colours,
which flowers between
May and June, favours
rocky limestone slopes,
dry meadows and open
woodland. In fact it
grows on the slopes of
Monte Generoso, where
it lives undisturbed.
15 KM FROM LOCARNO
The ancient beech woods
of the Lodano Valley, which
runs into the Maggia Valley,
have been recognised as
a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Humans have left
numerous traces of their
activities in this large
forest reserve: charcoal
burners’ clearings and
cable transport systems
can be encountered
on the 4 itineraries.
GAMBAROGNO
BOTANICAL GARDEN
+ 20,000 m 2 covered by the
gardens. Between Piazzogna
and Vairano, camellias,
magnolias, azaleas, peonies,
rhododendrons and many
other plant species find their
preferred habitat on the hill
overlooking Lake Maggiore.
CHRISTMAS ROSE
These white or dark pink
flowers vary between
5 and 8 centimetres in
diameter. This plant with
evergreen leaves flowers
in winter, from December
to March. It only grows in
the south of Ticino up to a
maximum of 1,000 m,
favouring hornbeam,
beech and oak forests.
PROTECTED AREAS
There are 19 forest
reserves in Ticino. Some of
them are among the
largest in Switzerland!
6 tree species add a
southern touch: chestnut,
hop hornbeam, manna
ash, Turkey oak, European
nettle tree and laburnum.
BRISSAGO ISLANDS
2.5 hectares of botanical
park to explore the whole
world at once with over
2,000 different plant
species from 5 continents.