Protected plants across Switzerland

Across Switzerland as a whole, 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: European Michaelmas daisy (Aster amellus)

Aster amellus European Michaelmas daisy More about the species

View portrait: Lesser centaury (Centaurium pulchellum)

Centaurium pulchellum Lesser centaury More about the species

View portrait: Lady’s slipper (Cypripedium calceolus)

Cypripedium calceolus Lady’s slipper More about the species

View portrait: Garland flower (Daphne cneorum)

Daphne cneorum Garland flower More about the species

View portrait: Burning bush (Dictamnus albus)

Dictamnus albus Burning bush 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: 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: Swiss elecampane (Inula helvetica)

Inula helvetica Swiss elecampane More about the species

View portrait: Siberian iris (Iris sibirica)

Iris sibirica Siberian 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: White water lily (Nymphaea alba)

Nymphaea alba White water lily More about the species

View portrait: Adder’s Tongue (Ophioglossum vulgatum)

Ophioglossum vulgatum Adder’s Tongue More about the species

View portrait: Fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera)

Ophrys insectifera Fly orchid More about the species

View portrait: Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)

Pulsatilla vulgaris Pasqueflower More about the species

View portrait: Autumn lady’s-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis)

Spiranthes spiralis Autumn lady’s-tresses More about the species

View portrait: Wild tulip (Tulipa sylvestris subsp. sylvestris)

Tulipa sylvestris subsp. sylvestris Wild tulip More about the species

View portrait: Dwarf Bulrush (Typha minima)

Typha minima Dwarf Bulrush More about the species

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Poster «Protected plants across Switzerland», 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

Aster amellus,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Centaurium pulchellum,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Cypripedium calceolus,
Françoise Alsaker,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Daphne cneorum,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Dictamnus albus,
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 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 Inula helvetica,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Iris sibirica,
Adrian Möhl,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Lilium bulbiferum subsp. bulbiferum,
Monique Vilpert,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Nymphaea alba,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Ophioglossum vulgatum,
Françoise Alsaker,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Ophrys insectifera,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Pulsatilla vulgaris,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Spiranthes spiralis,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Tulipa sylvestris subsp. sylvestris,
Patrick Veya,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Typha minima,
Christophe Bornand,
Original licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0