Protected plants in the Southern Alps

In the Swiss Southern Alps, one-third 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: Yellow monkshood (Aconitum anthora)

Aconitum anthora Yellow monkshood More about the species

View portrait: Charpentier’s androsace (Androsace brevis)

Androsace brevis Charpentier’s androsace More about the species

View portrait: Einsel’s columbine (Aquilegia einseleana)

Aquilegia einseleana Einsel’s columbine More about the species

View portrait: White asphodel (Asphodelus albus)

Asphodelus albus White asphodel More about the species

View portrait: Drooping carpesium (Carpesium cernuum)

Carpesium cernuum Drooping carpesium More about the species

View portrait: Fringed pink (Dianthus hyssopifolius)

Dianthus hyssopifolius Fringed pink More about the species

View portrait: Dog’s-tooth-violet (Erythronium dens-canis)

Erythronium dens-canis Dog’s-tooth-violet More about the species

View portrait: Alpine gentian (Gentiana alpina)

Gentiana alpina Alpine gentian More about the species

View portrait: Insubric gentian (Gentiana insubrica)

Gentiana insubrica Insubric gentian More about the species

View portrait: Downy elecampe (Inula hirta)

Inula hirta Downy elecampe More about the species

View portrait: Grass-leaved iris (Iris graminea)

Iris graminea Grass-leaved iris 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: Lake Maggiore daffodil (Narcissus ×verbanensis)

Narcissus ×verbanensis Lake Maggiore daffodil More about the species

View portrait: Three-toothed orchid (Orchis tridentata)

Orchis tridentata Three-toothed orchid More about the species

View portrait: Royal fern (Osmunda regalis)

Osmunda regalis Royal fern More about the species

View portrait: Common peony (Paeonia officinalis)

Paeonia officinalis Common peony More about the species

View portrait: Scorzonera-leaved rampion (Phyteuma scorzonerifolium)

Phyteuma scorzonerifolium Scorzonera-leaved rampion More about the species

View portrait: European false stitchwort (Pseudostellaria europaea)

Pseudostellaria europaea European false stitchwort More about the species

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

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

View portrait: Black false hellebore (Veratrum nigrum)

Veratrum nigrum Black false hellebore More about the species

PDF-Download

Poster «Protected plants in the Southern 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

Aconitum anthora,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Androsace brevis,
Michele Jurietti,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Aquilegia einseleana,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Asphodelus albus,
Michele Jurietti,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Carpesium cernuum,
Philippe Juillerat,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Dianthus hyssopifolius,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Erythronium dens-canis,
Michele Jurietti,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Gentiana alpina,
Patrice Descombes,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Gentiana insubrica,
Michele Jurietti,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Inula hirta,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Iris graminea,
Urban Angehrn Lilium bulbiferum subsp. bulbiferum,
Monique Vilpert,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Narcissus ×verbanensis,
Michele Jurietti,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Orchis tridentata,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Osmunda regalis,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Paeonia officinalis,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Phyteuma scorzonerifolium,
Michele Jurietti,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Pseudostellaria europaea,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Tulipa sylvestris subsp. australis,
Michele Jurietti,
Original licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 Veratrum nigrum,
Dominik Denzler,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0