Orto Botanico, Botanical garden and open-air museum in Palermo, Italy.
The Orto Botanico is a large garden space in Palermo holding thousands of plant species ranging from Mediterranean to tropical zones. The site includes maintained pathways, greenhouses, and collection areas that recreate different climate conditions for the specimens.
The garden was founded in the late 1700s originally to grow medicinal plants for scientific purposes. Its growth over more than two centuries made it an important center for plant research and education.
The place takes its name from the botanical purpose it has served for generations, bringing scientific plant study together with public access where visitors walk among diverse species from different climates. The way the pathways connect different garden sections creates a sense of traveling between distinct plant worlds without leaving the city.
The best visit is in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is not too intense and you can observe the plants more clearly. Comfortable shoes are recommended since there are many paths to explore and some areas are hilly.
An ancient fig tree with massive trunks captures the attention of botanists and visitors alike, showcasing the extreme sizes that certain trees can reach. Seeing this particular specimen often surprises visitors who expect plants to be smaller.
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