page_title: Musée et jardins botaniques cantonaux
section_title: The alpine garden, La Thomasia
hierarchical_section_title: Musée et jardins botaniques cantonaux / The alpine garden, La Thomasia
caption_attribution_description: English: View of the alpine garden, La Thomasia, near Bex, Switerland, which forms part of the Musée et jardins botaniques cantonaux, Canton of Vaud. Français&#160;: Vue sur le jardin alpin, la Thomasia, près de Bex, Switerland. Il fait partie du Musée et jardins botaniques cantonaux, Canton de Vaud.
context_page_description: The Cantonal Botanical Museum and Gardens in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, comprises the museum and botanical garden in Lausanne, as well as the botanical garden, La Thomasia, in the Alps near the town of Bex.
  Administered under the Service of cultural affairs of Vaud, the museum and gardens engage in the study and protection of local flora, as well as in promoting public awareness in biodiversity and nature education in general.
  The museum, as well as the two botanical gardens are listed as cultural assets of national importance.
context_section_description: La Thomasia, is located near the town of Bex, Canton Vaud, in the calcareous Swiss Alps. In spite of the relative low altitude, 1260 meters, its situation at the entrance of the Vallon de Nant, a small glacier valley, induces a subalpine climate to the garden. The valley is managed as a nature reserve since 1970. 
  La Thomasia was created in 1891, by the initiative of the city of Bex, and is the oldest continuously active alpine garden of Switzerland. By 1895, under Ernest Wilczek, director of the botanical garden in Lausanne, the collection counted already some 2000 species.
  The garden takes its name from the family Thomas that gave four generations of botanists. The first was Pierre Thomas, who began his work under the direction of Albrecht von Haller, the author of the first flora of Switzerland. The family later made a business of collecting alpine plants in the mountains surrounding Bex and selling them to foreign collectors and gardens.
  The garden is dedicated to alpine flora from all parts of the world. Over 3000 plant species are presented in the 70 rock gardens, covering over one hectare, and grouped according to geographical origin representing all the alpine and related regions of the world. The European Alps sector includes a large focus on local flora. 
  The surface of the garden is basically flat but covered with small artificial hills, which allow cultivation on different exposures and in a variety of habitats. Several ponds as well as a stream have been created and on the Eastern part, there is a spontaneous forest of European Spruce with large rocks, ferns and mosses. 
  An ecological area dedicated to spontaneous fauna was recently created. It consists of a small oligotrophic lake for amphibians, as well as reconstituted habitats for insects and small mammals with dead trees and alpine fellfields.
  In the nursery, plants are cultivated for the botanical garden or for experimental research.
  The alpine garden is open daily from May through October, depending on snowfall and road conditions.
caption: View of the alpine garden, La Thomasia, near Bex, Switzerland
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