A green jewel

What you need to know to protect Trentino’s alpine flora

Trentino is home to about 500,000 trees and over 2,300 varieties of plants. Walking or cycling along the trails is a fantastic way to discover this amazing green treasure.

For example, there’s the Monte Baldo Local Nature Park, also known as Hortus Italiae, a carpet of plants and wild flowers overlooking Lake Garda and the Adige valley. Between May and June carpets of snowdrops unfurl along the paths, as well as gentians, red lilies and, on the rocks, silvery crane's bills.The most common species, such as lilies and globeflowers, create a unique spectacle on the high-altitude meadows.

Another treasure trove of biodiversity is the Viote Alpine Botanical Garden on Monte Bondone. Founded in 1938, and spanning roughly 10 hectares, it is one of the largest and oldest botanical gardens in the Alps. It is home to over 1500 high-altitude plants, including some which are exceptionally rare.

Preserving this wonderful yet fragile variety of flora requires care and insight. This is why we kindly ask you to adopt a few measures when walking in forests or on mountain meadows. These small changes improve the relationship between humans and the natural world.

FAQs 

To protect the Alpine environment, all herbaceous and shrub species, mosses and lichens that are naturally distributed throughout the Autonomous Province of Trento are protected.

Some plant species are deemed to be especially in need of protection and therefore cannot be gathered, sold or damaged in any way: these include all orchids, saxifrages, gladioli, lilies, holly and butcher's broom. If you want to take home a memento of their gorgeous colours, your best bet is to take a photo!

 

You can learn more about how to behave in order to enjoy our forests and mountains on the Autonomous Province of Trento’s website dedicated to the Forest Service: https://forestefauna.provincia.tn.it/Foreste/Foreste-in-Trentino/Flora-spontanea

You can pick up to 5 flowering stems of certain species. However, you should avoid uprooting tubers and roots.

Some plants are picked as part of ancient local traditions. For these, you may gather between 0.5 - 2 kg, depending on the species. These include nettles; yarrow, chamomile and hawthorn flowers; elder inflorescence and berries; alpine sow-thistle buds; hop buds and infructescences; bay leaves; mint and mallow leaves and flowers; mountain pine buds and pine cones.

Typically, you can take up to 1 kg of freshly-gathered lichens and mosses per person, per day.

Land owners can prohibit the removal of plants, and must install designated signs at the main access points.

Any exceptions to these prohibitions and quantities are issued by the competent local institutions.

 

You can learn more about how to behave in order to enjoy our forests and mountains on the Autonomous Province of Trento’s website dedicated to the Forest Service: https://forestefauna.provincia.tn.it/Foreste/Foreste-in-Trentino/Flora-spontanea

Anyone over the age of 10, or younger than 10 but accompanied by an adult, may gather mushrooms. You must have a permit from the municipality.

As a rule of thumb, do not gather or eat mushrooms, flowers and berries that you aren't familiar with, as they may be poisonous. If you aren't an expert, take extra care and consult someone who is.

 

You can learn more about how to behave in order to enjoy our forests and mountains on the Autonomous Province of Trento’s website dedicated to the Forest Service, in the section on mushroom gathering: https://forestefauna.provincia.tn.it/Foreste/Foreste-in-Trentino/Funghi

Walk along the paths and do not depart from marked routes, especially in unfamiliar areas. Do not go beyond any fences that may mark private property or cultivated fields.

If you’re an avid cyclist, only cycle on roads or designated cycle paths. On paths where cycling is not possible or not permitted, proceed on foot and push your bike along in order to not damage plants and flowers.

 

You can learn more about how to behave in order to enjoy our forests and mountains on the Autonomous Province of Trento’s website dedicated to the Forest Service, in the section on mushroom gathering: https://forestefauna.provincia.tn.it/Foreste/Foreste-in-Trentino/Funghi

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