Protected plants in the Northern Alps

In the Swiss Northern Alps, more than one-quarter 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: Milkwhite rock jasmine (Androsace lactea)

Androsace lactea Milkwhite rock jasmine More about the species

View portrait: Matricary grape-fern (Botrychium matricariifolium)

Botrychium matricariifolium Matricary grape-fern More about the species

View portrait: Pyrenean scurvygrass (Cochlearia pyrenaica)

Cochlearia pyrenaica Pyrenean scurvygrass More about the species

View portrait: Lady’s slipper (Cypripedium calceolus)

Cypripedium calceolus Lady’s slipper More about the species

View portrait: Alpine daphne (Daphne alpina)

Daphne alpina Alpine daphne More about the species

View portrait: Alpine delphinium (Delphinium elatum)

Delphinium elatum Alpine delphinium More about the species

View portrait: Northern dragonhead (Dracocephalum ruyschiana)

Dracocephalum ruyschiana Northern dragonhead More about the species

View portrait: Great sundew (Drosera anglica)

Drosera anglica Great sundew More about the species

View portrait: Alpine sea holly (Eryngium alpinum)

Eryngium alpinum Alpine sea holly More about the species

View portrait: Orange lily (Lilium bulbiferum subsp. croceum)

Lilium bulbiferum subsp. croceum Orange lily More about the species

View portrait: Narrow-leaved narcissus (Narcissus radiiflorus)

Narcissus radiiflorus Narrow-leaved narcissus More about the species

View portrait: Fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera)

Ophrys insectifera Fly orchid More about the species

View portrait: Military orchid (Orchis militaris)

Orchis militaris Military orchid More about the species

View portrait: Purple oxytropis (Oxytropis halleri)

Oxytropis halleri Purple oxytropis More about the species

View portrait: Western alpine poppy (Papaver occidentale)

Papaver occidentale Western alpine poppy More about the species

View portrait: Pyrenean whitlowgrass (Petrocallis pyrenaica)

Petrocallis pyrenaica Pyrenean whitlowgrass More about the species

View portrait: Saffron-flowered saxifrage (Saxifraga mutata)

Saxifraga mutata Saffron-flowered saxifrage More about the species

View portrait: Marsh felwort (Swertia perennis)

Swertia perennis Marsh felwort More about the species

View portrait: Field fleawort (Tephroseris capitata)

Tephroseris capitata Field fleawort More about the species

View portrait: Least water-lily (Nuphar pumila)

Nuphar pumila Least water-lily More about the species

PDF-Download

Poster «Protected plants in the Northern Alps», 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

Androsace lactea,
Philippe Juillerat,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Botrychium matricariifolium,
Michele Jurietti,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Cochlearia pyrenaica,
Eveline Kozslowski Cypripedium calceolus,
Françoise Alsaker,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Daphne alpina,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Delphinium elatum,
Michael Jutzi,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Dracocephalum ruyschiana,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Drosera anglica,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Eryngium alpinum,
Michael Jutzi,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Lilium bulbiferum subsp. croceum,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Narcissus radiiflorus,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Nuphar pumila,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Ophrys insectifera,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Orchis militaris,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Oxytropis halleri,
Michael Jutzi,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Papaver occidentale,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Petrocallis pyrenaica,
Michael Jutzi,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Saxifraga mutata,
Michael Jutzi,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Swertia perennis,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Tephroseris capitata,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0