Protected plants on the Swiss Plateau

On the Swiss Plateau, almost half of native plant species are threatened. We are committed to their conservation:

Protected or threatened?

Species with protected status are safeguarded by law. Anyone who picks them is subject to prosecution — regardless of how common or rare the species in question is. Threatened species are in decline, and their longterm survival remains uncertain. The national Red List documents the conservation status of species across several categories (see below). Protection status and threat status are assessed independently of one another, although considerable overlap between the two exists.

critically endangered

endangered

vulnerable

near threatened

Enjoy their beauty — without picking them!

View portrait: Mouse garlic (Allium angulosum)

Allium angulosum Mouse garlic More about the species

View portrait: Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus)

Butomus umbellatus Flowering rush More about the species

View portrait: Bristly bellflower (Campanula cervicaria)

Campanula cervicaria Bristly bellflower More about the species

View portrait: Lesser knapweed (Centaurea nemoralis)

Centaurea nemoralis Lesser knapweed More about the species

View portrait: Lesser centaury (Centaurium pulchellum)

Centaurium pulchellum Lesser centaury More about the species

View portrait: Large pink (Dianthus superbus subsp. superbus)

Dianthus superbus subsp. superbus Large pink More about the species

View portrait: Slender Cottongrass (Eriophorum gracile)

Eriophorum gracile Slender Cottongrass More about the species

View portrait: Dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris)

Filipendula vulgaris Dropwort More about the species

View portrait: Marsh gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe)

Gentiana pneumonanthe Marsh gentian More about the species

View portrait: Marsh gladiolus (Gladiolus palustris)

Gladiolus palustris Marsh gladiolus More about the species

View portrait: Water violet (Hottonia palustris)

Hottonia palustris Water violet More about the species

View portrait: Siberian iris (Iris sibirica)

Iris sibirica Siberian iris More about the species

View portrait: Tufted loosestrife (Lysimachia thyrsiflora)

Lysimachia thyrsiflora Tufted loosestrife More about the species

View portrait: Common grape hyacinth (Muscari botryoides)

Muscari botryoides Common grape hyacinth More about the species

View portrait: Small spider orchid (Ophrys araneola)

Ophrys araneola Small spider orchid More about the species

View portrait: Bog orchid (Orchis palustris)

Orchis palustris Bog orchid More about the species

View portrait: Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)

Pulsatilla vulgaris Pasqueflower More about the species

View portrait: Cinnamon rose (Rosa majalis)

Rosa majalis Cinnamon rose More about the species

View portrait: Arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia)

Sagittaria sagittifolia Arrowhead More about the species

View portrait: Water ragwort (Senecio erraticus)

Senecio erraticus Water ragwort More about the species

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Poster «Protected plants on the Swiss Plateau», 2026

Photo credits

For all photos: use and adaptation in this project with the kind permission of the photographers.

Landscape,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Allium angulosum,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Butomus umbellatus,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Campanula cervicaria,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Centaurea nemoralis,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Centaurium pulchellum,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Dianthus superbus subsp. superbus,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Eriophorum gracile,
Michael Jutzi,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Filipendula vulgaris,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Gentiana pneumonanthe,
Michael Jutzi,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Gladiolus palustris,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Hottonia palustris,
Christian Fischer,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 Iris sibirica,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Lysimachia thyrsiflora,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Muscari botryoides,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Ophrys araneola,
Philippe Juillerat,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Orchis palustris,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Pulsatilla vulgaris,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Rosa majalis,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Sagittaria sagittifolia,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Senecio erraticus,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0