Villa Taranto, Botanical garden in Verbania, Italy
Villa Taranto is a botanical garden on the shore of Lake Maggiore in Verbania featuring greenhouses, terraced areas, flower beds and water installations. The grounds spread across a large area with different plant collections representing various climate zones and vegetation types.
Scottish captain Neil Boyd Watson McEacharn bought the La Crocetta estate in 1931 and spent the following decades building the botanical garden. After his death in 1964, the Italian state took over its management and opened the grounds to visitors.
The name honors the southern Italian port of Taranto and reflects the long journey of plants brought here from different continents. Visitors today see rarities from Asia, the Americas and Oceania thriving in a Mediterranean setting.
The garden opens from March to November, and paths wind through different elevations with some steep sections. Guided tours in several languages can be booked in advance and offer insights into plant life and garden design.
The collection holds around 350 dahlia varieties grown in 1700 specimens that bloom from summer to autumn, showing color gradients from white through pink to deep red. This diversity makes the garden one of the key sites in Europe for this flower.
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