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Diecimare National Park, Oasis of WWF, is located between the municipalities of Cava de’Tirreni, Mercato S. Severino and Baronissi, in the province of Salerno, on the elevations which divide the Lattari Mountains, the Picentini Mountains and part of the Montagnone Mountains, Monte Caruso, Forcella della Cava, Poggio and Monte Cuculo, at 618 meters of altitude.

The alternation of forest areas, garigue and low shrub makes the park a natural botanical orchard with a concentration in a few hectares of completely different habitats.
About 200 vegetal species belonging to 40 families have been found in the park.
There is a wood with a prevalence of oaks, like Turkey Oaks (Quercus cerris) and downy oaks (Quercus pubescens), beech trees (Fagus sylvatica), hollies (Ilex aquifolium), chestnut trees (Castanea sativa), ash trees (Fraxinus angustifolia), Mannah ashes (Fraxinus ornus), field maples (Acer campestre), European hop-hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia), elms (Ulmus carpinifolia), Italian Alders (Alnus cordata) and aspens (Populus tremula).
The vegetation of the valley is composed of evergreens like myrtles (Myrtus communis), strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo), holm oaks (Quecus ilex), Pistacia lentiscus, oleasters (Oleae europea var. oleaster), heathers (Erica arborea), junipers (Juniperus communis) and broom trees (Spartium junceum). The vegetation is interrupted by the garigue and it is surrounded by the essential scents of Southern steppe environments: Briza maxima, oat (Avena fatua), fennels (Foenicolum vulgare), wild carrots (Daucus carota), white asphodels (Asphodelus albus), hoary rock-roses (Cistus incanus) and sage-leaved rock-roses (Cistus salvifolius). There are also aromatic and therapeutic plants such as thymes (Thymus vulgaris), rues (Ruta graveolens), lavanders (Lavandula angustifolia), borages (Borago officinalis) and water cresses (Nasturtium officinalis). It is easy to notice some wild orchids, like Orchis simia, Orchis papilionacea, Anacamptis pyramidalis, Ophrys apifera and Ophrys fuciflora, during Spring time in the clearings.

The visitor centre at the park’s entrance hosts a small naturalistic museum and an exhibition of typical products of the area. There are suggestive paths which cross the oasis allowing the tourists to explore the park: “sentiero natura”, “sentiero del falco” and “sentiero dei due golfi”. The educational areas dedicated to bumble bees are the ideal places to study and observe this type of insect; “Casa delle Api”, where it is possible to admire the working bees and the Green Room with its orchid garden complete and enrich the visit to Diecimare oasis.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)