A unique Botanical Garden in the Illes Balears

Parks and Nature | Sóller

Sóller is a paradise for botanists and flower-lovers. In addition to its Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals (Natural Science Museum), there is now a brand-new Botanical Garden with native Mediterranean flora, the result of many years of investigation. Due to its characteristics, it is unique in the Illes Balears. The new Botanical Garden is an extension of the one which already existed, inaugurated in 1992, which only included Balearic flora. This new area forms part of the Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals, in the country estate known as Camp d'en Prohom, on the outskirts of Sóller. The museum has been open since 1985 and contains valuable documents, such as the bibliographic collection of Guillem Colom, a famous geologist who was born in this beautiful town in the north east of Mallorca. It also has various rooms for temporary and permanent exhibitions. Native flora of other Mediterranean islands The areas which have been enlarged make this Botanical Garden a unique place in the Illes Balears. Represented here are the native flora of other Mediterranean islands, with plants from Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta and Crete. Also on display is a collection of the flora from the Canary Islands, with ecosystems similar to those of the Mediterranean. Another very interesting element is the combination of traditional popular architecture with botany. There are four marjades, walls in the form of steps made with the dry stone technique, and on each step a series of ornamental plants, medicinal flowers, fruit trees and vegetables are grown. Since it was created, the centre has carried out important work in the investigation and preservation of plants. In 1997 the Fundació Jardí Botànic de Sóller (Botanical Garden of Sóller Foundation) was set up thanks to the sponsorship of Francesc Arbona Colom, and is in charge of conserving this natural heritage of the Illes Balears. To this end, its has one of the five germoplasm banks which exist in Spain, where the seeds of the most threatened species are kept frozen. The projects of this institution do not end here. The inauguration of the foundation's new headquarters is planned for the end of 2003, to be installed in a building constructed in 1906 which also belongs to the country estate.