Protected plants in the Western Central Alps

In the Swiss Western Central 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: Spring pheasant’s eye (Adonis vernalis)

Adonis vernalis Spring pheasant’s eye More about the species

View portrait: Alpine alyssum (Alyssum alpestre)

Alyssum alpestre Alpine alyssum More about the species

View portrait: Alpine columbine (Aquilegia alpina)

Aquilegia alpina Alpine columbine More about the species

View portrait: Snow wormwood (Artemisia nivalis)

Artemisia nivalis Snow wormwood More about the species

View portrait: Dwarf coronilla (Coronilla minima)

Coronilla minima Dwarf coronilla More about the species

View portrait: Burning bush (Dictamnus albus)

Dictamnus albus Burning bush More about the species

View portrait: Austrian dragonhead (Dracocephalum austriacum)

Dracocephalum austriacum Austrian dragonhead More about the species

View portrait: Swiss ephedra (Ephedra helvetica)

Ephedra helvetica Swiss ephedra More about the species

View portrait: Early star-of-Bethlehem (Gagea saxatilis)

Gagea saxatilis Early star-of-Bethlehem More about the species

View portrait: Valais stock (Matthiola valesiaca)

Matthiola valesiaca Valais stock More about the species

View portrait: Swiss golden drop (Onosma helvetica)

Onosma helvetica Swiss golden drop More about the species

View portrait: Spitzel’s orchid (Orchis spitzelii)

Orchis spitzelii Spitzel’s orchid More about the species

View portrait: Haller’s pasqueflower (Pulsatilla halleri)

Pulsatilla halleri Haller’s pasqueflower More about the species

View portrait: Grass-leaved buttercup (Ranunculus gramineus)

Ranunculus gramineus Grass-leaved buttercup More about the species

View portrait: Bulbous saxifrage (Saxifraga bulbifera)

Saxifraga bulbifera Bulbous saxifrage More about the species

View portrait: Large-flowered houseleek (Sempervivum grandiflorum)

Sempervivum grandiflorum Large-flowered houseleek More about the species

View portrait: Sweet William catchfly (Silene armeria)

Silene armeria Sweet William catchfly More about the species

View portrait: Valais catchfly (Silene vallesia)

Silene vallesia Valais catchfly More about the species

View portrait: Rock clover (Trifolium saxatile)

Trifolium saxatile Rock clover More about the species

View portrait: Southern wild tulip (Tulipa sylvestris subsp. australis)

Tulipa sylvestris subsp. australis Southern wild tulip More about the species

PDF-Download

Poster «Protected plants in the Western Central 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

Adonis vernalis,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Alyssum alpestre,
Rolf Heeb Aquilegia alpina,
Michele Jurietti,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Artemisia nivalis,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Coronilla minima,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Dictamnus albus,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Dracocephalum austriacum,
Patrice Descombes,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Ephedra helvetica,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Gagea saxatilis,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Matthiola valesiaca,
Rolf Heeb Onosma helvetica,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Orchis spitzelii,
Rolf Heeb Pulsatilla halleri,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Ranunculus gramineus,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Saxifraga bulbifera,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Sempervivum grandiflorum,
Rolf Heeb Silene armeria,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Silene vallesia,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Trifolium saxatile,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Tulipa sylvestris subsp. australis,
Michele Jurietti,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0