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The Cansiglio Alpine Botanical Garden was devised in 1972 by Professor Giovanni Giorgio Lorenzoni, a professor at the University of Padua, and by Doctor Giovanni Zanardo, an inspector of the State Forestry Corps, who actually started its construction. It was opened in 1995, on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the botanical garden of Padua, linked to this alpine facility by years of cooperation and scientific exchange.

The garden welcomes the flora and the vegetation of the Cansiglio-Col Nudo-Cavallo Mountain Range, with about 1000 plant species that grow from the foothills to the highest peaks.
The Alpine botanical garden stretches a limestone area of about 5 acres, at 3.280 ft; the flower beds are spread over different levels, separated by meadows and trees.

The transformation of the flower beds into ideal habitats, as well as several improvements of the garden, have allowed a considerable increase in the number of the plant species: in 1978 there were 80, while today they’re about 800. The final goal is to locally grow all the 1.500 species of this mountain range.
In this alpine garden, many species threatened of extinction can be admired, like Drosera rotundifolia, Rhynchospora alba, and Iris cengialti, as well vulnerable plants like Hottonia palustris, Gentiana pneumonanthe, Menyanthes trifoliata, Cypripedium calceolus, Lilium carniolicum, Primula wulfeniana, and Alyssum ovirense.
Geranium argenteum, an endemic species and a true symbol of this garden, is also part of its botanical heritage, along with the large collection of willow trees that thrive all over the Alps, and several officinal and pharmaceutical species. Each plant is conveniently tagged for reference.

The garden has an interesting collection of willows that grow in the humid areas of the Alps, in small valleys and in the screes as well as the typical habitats of beeches and firs.
The expansion of the rocky area housing the endemic species of higher altitudes, alpine and subalpine environments is currently underway.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)