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In Palermo nature is celebrated in an institutionalized kind of way. The city is renowned for hosting one of the oldest modern botanical centers where the Mediterranean flora makes a wonderful sight and a vast subject to study. The Botanical Garden of Palermo is generous from this perspective and therefore offers hundreds of tropical plants from all parts of the world.

The origins of the center can be traced back to 1779, the moment of the instauration of the chair of Botany and Medicinal Properties by the Accademia dei Regi Studi. The complex started as a small garden that soon proved to be insufficient for the original purposes. The present location next to the Piano di Sant’Erasmo is due to the need of enlarging the designated space. The area is now divided into a main building, the Gymnasium, joined by two secondary buildings, the Tepidarium and the Calidarium. Those who are familiar with the Neo-classical style will instantly notice the designs of Trombetta, Marabitti and Venanzio Marvuglia.

Subsequent to 1795 the garden received new facilities such as the Aquarium (1798) that makes the perfect habitat for various species of aquatic plants and the Maria Carolina glasshouse that was finalized in 1823. These were possible only because of the serial extensions that the garden was subjected to. Along the years the esthetic aspect never got too much attention which made the whole environment quite hectic. You should leave any symmetry expectations at home because you won’t encounter a strict design or too many esthetic tokens. Instead, nature will be revealed just as it is.

This garden is a flora heaven from everywhere around the world. The diversity is extremely large and offers over 12 000 species. Notable examples make both great study material and proof of nature’s creativity. The Ginkgo biloba, various species of Nymphaea, the genus Aloe in its diverse forms, certain types of cicadi, the Burma bamboo, foreign palms, the beautiful coffee plant, papaya, the huge Ficus macrophylla imported from the Australian Norfolk Island in 1845 are only few of the garden’s subsides.

There are certain zones that offer the pulse of the entire botanical world of Palermo. The research zone is where discoveries are made. Recent studies were undertaken on cotton, sugar cane, sorghum and vegetables. There is also a zone called Engler’s zone where plants are arranged according to Engler’s system of classification. There are three sections of which every one of them is focused on gymnosperms, angiosperms, dicotyledons and liliopsida. Another interesting area is the one where the genetic material of the region’s flora is conserved. All the native seeds of the region are preserved here, managed by the center and offered for exchange.

The botanical world of Palermo offers an enticing display of succulents, plants of the warm-humid zones, ferns and many exotic botanical examples. The center is a paradise for both botanists and regular observers and its centered position definitely crowns it as a local natural jewel.