Protected plants in the Eastern Central Alps

In the Swiss Eastern Central Alps, 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: Northern rock jasmine (Androsace septentrionalis)

Androsace septentrionalis Northern rock jasmine More about the species

View portrait: Lanceleaf moonwort (Botrychium lanceolatum)

Botrychium lanceolatum Lanceleaf moonwort More about the species

View portrait: Monte-Baldo sedge (Carex baldensis)

Carex baldensis Monte-Baldo sedge More about the species

View portrait: Lady’s slipper (Cypripedium calceolus)

Cypripedium calceolus Lady’s slipper More about the species

View portrait: Northern ground-cedar (Diphasiastrum complanatum)

Diphasiastrum complanatum Northern ground-cedar More about the species

View portrait: Austrian dragonhead (Dracocephalum austriacum)

Dracocephalum austriacum Austrian 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: Yellow star-of-Bethlehem (Gagea pratensis)

Gagea pratensis Yellow star-of-Bethlehem More about the species

View portrait: Marsh gladiolus (Gladiolus palustris)

Gladiolus palustris Marsh gladiolus More about the species

View portrait: Musk orchid (Herminium monorchis)

Herminium monorchis Musk orchid More about the species

View portrait: Bulb-bearing lily (Lilium bulbiferum subsp. bulbiferum)

Lilium bulbiferum subsp. bulbiferum Bulb-bearing lily More about the species

View portrait: Blue feltwort (Lomatogonium carinthiacum)

Lomatogonium carinthiacum Blue feltwort More about the species

View portrait: Red vanilla orchid (Nigritella rubra)

Nigritella rubra Red vanilla orchid More about the species

View portrait: Bug orchid (Orchis coriophora)

Orchis coriophora Bug orchid More about the species

View portrait: Rhaetian alpine poppy (Papaver aurantiacum)

Papaver aurantiacum Rhaetian alpine poppy More about the species

View portrait: Yellow houseleek (Sempervivum wulfenii)

Sempervivum wulfenii Yellow houseleek More about the species

View portrait: Flower-of-Jove (Silene flos-jovis)

Silene flos-jovis Flower-of-Jove More about the species

View portrait: Chickweed-wintergreen (Trientalis europaea)

Trientalis europaea Chickweed-wintergreen More about the species

View portrait: Shuttleworth’s cattail (Typha shuttleworthii)

Typha shuttleworthii Shuttleworth’s cattail More about the species

PDF-Download

Poster «Protected plants in the Eastern 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

Androsace septentrionalis,
Urban Angehrn Botrychium lanceolatum,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Carex baldensis,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Cypripedium calceolus,
Françoise Alsaker,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Diphasiastrum complanatum,
Françoise Alsaker,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Dracocephalum austriacum,
Patrice Descombes,
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 Gagea pratensis,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Gladiolus palustris,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Herminium monorchis,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Lilium bulbiferum subsp. bulbiferum,
Monique Vilpert,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Lomatogonium carinthiacum,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Nigritella rubra,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Orchis coriophora,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Papaver aurantiacum,
Hansjörg Schläpfer,
Original licence: CC0 Sempervivum wulfenii,
Rolf Heeb Silene flos-jovis,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Trientalis europaea,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Typha shuttleworthii,
Rolf Heeb