Alpine plant display

Around 800 species from the mountains of the world are cultivated on an area of almost 1,000 m². The alpine plant display is home to species from Europe, Asia and North America, ranging from the montane to the alpine altitude level (350 m to 2,300 m above sea level). The plants are organised according to their geographical distribution and soil requirements. Some species grow only on limestone, others only on silicate.

The cultivation of alpine plants in the Botanical Garden is only possible thanks to the expertise of our gardeners. The hot, dry climate in Vienna poses a major challenge. In the Viennese winter, the plants lack constant snow cover. Summers are consistently too hot, and the increasingly frequent tropical nights also mean that there is less dew. While Nordic and alpine species grow poorly under such conditions, species from the mountains of the Mediterranean region can sometimes be cultivated surprisingly well in the Viennese climate.

Many of the plants displayed here were previously studied by researchers at the Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research. These colleagues contribute significantly to research on the flora of the Alps. They investigate the relationships of alpine flora, its distribution and the different plant communities formed by alpine plants. Once the scientists have completed their research, some of the alpine plants are planted in the alpine plant display. For many of these plants, the researchers have documented in detail when and where they were collected in the wild. The precise documentation of their origin is an important feature of botanical collections.