Overview
Designed in 1789 by the French architect Léon Dufourny together with Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia, when the chair of Natural History and Botany was established, the Botanical Garden of Palermo is a true subtropical paradise covering some 10 hectares, and boasts some 10,000 tree species, including imposing fig trees, tall palms and brightly coloured hibiscus, a tropical orchard, a garden of medicinal plants, primitive plants (known as "living fossils") and various aquatic systems. The large central building (the Gymnasium) houses the ancient Botanical School. The palm avenue is the oldest part of the garden, which cuts into two the garden of Linnaeus (named after the Swedish naturalist who set up the species classification system), divided into small rectangular flowerbeds according to a classification based essentially on the sexual characteristics of the flowers. Here, among the noteworthy specimens is the Ginkgo biloba (with the famous two-lobed leaves). The water lily pool is also stunning, surrounded by bamboo plants and several varieties of water lilies, whose polychrome blooms can be admired throughout the summer. Among the floating specimens, the well-known Indian lotus and the Egyptian papyrus steal the show. Finally, in the greenhouses, the oldest of which is a good 500 square metres, plants from humid tropical climates or, as in the succulent greenhouse, cactus varieties from hot arid environments proliferate.
