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The Arboretum of Arco was created by Archduke Albert of Habsburg near his Villa around 1872, a time when the town used to be the winter residence of the Austrian imperial court.

In the 1960s, the construction of the botanical garden was entrusted to Walter Larcher, professor of botany at the University of Innsbruck. In 1993, following a careful renovation and revaluation, the Arboretum became a branch of the Tridentine Museum of Natural Sciences in Trento. Miniature plant landscapes were created inside it, with the aim of evoking the original environments of the various tree species. Provided with tags and information in Italian, English and German, this facility can be regarded as an interesting open-air museum, aimed at spreading knowledge and traditions among tourists, occasional visitors, students and scholars.

The local mild climate has favoured more than 150 plants species from all over the world to thrive in this 2.5-acre area. There are mainly Mediterranean and subtropical varieties, which have perfectly adapted to this new environment.

Within this renowned educational centre of international importance, educational programs are regularly held, involving thousands of students a year; important academic research is carried out as well, mainly focused on the relationship between the local climate and the flora.

THE PLANTS

The different environments and botanical associations re-created inside the Arboretum include: the Mediterranean scrub, the Asian and subtropical plant section, the conifer grove, the bamboo jungle, the lemon grove, the pond with water and arum lilies (Zantedeschia spp.), the path of the palms, and the sloping gorse with the abundant broom (Cytisus spp.).

There are also several wonderful specimens of centuries-old holm oaks (Quercus ilex) and California incense-cedars (Calocedrus decurrens) near the entrance of the Arboretum, as well as some Port Orford cedars ( em>Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), and an evergreen coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) – one of the oldest specimens in Europe.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)