Department of Botanical Sciences of Messina

The Botanical Garden of Messina today constitutes a small arboretum in the heart of the city. The collection of species currently held by the “Pietro Castelli” Botanical Garden includes many native and exotic plants, particularly of tropical and subtropical origin. Many of these were introduced since its foundation, others in later periods. For more than a decade, the Botanical Garden has been involved in biodiversity conservation, reproducing and cultivating native species at risk of extinction. Its collection is continuously growing: there are rich collections of succulent plants, cycadaceae, carnivorous and aromatic plants.