Short visit Locarno Ticino Southern Switzerland

[Mazat]

we were recently in Locarno in the south of Switzerland. Here are some impressions of impressive CIDP and other exotics 

That made me feel small at 6ft 2inch😁

No

 

[Harry’s Palms]

Very nice pictures . I had no idea that palms would grow in Switzerland, and some of those are very old , especially those Trachycarpus and the Jubea . Harry

[Mazat]

  On 3/26/2025 at 12:03 PM, Harry’s Palms said:

Very nice pictures . I had no idea that palms would grow in Switzerland, and some of those are very old , especially those Trachycarpus and the Jubea . Harry

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thank you very much, Harry. yes, lugano as well as ascona and locarno where are these pictures taken, are one of the warmest places in switzerland and mildest in winter and have around 23 frost days on average per year directly and close to the two lakes in the period 1991 - 2020. the number has been falling ever since. the island of brissago is the warmest place in switzerland even before the places just listed and has an annual average of around 14 degrees celsius and rarely falls into the frost range. it therefore has far fewer frost days than lugano, ascona and locarno. there is a davis weather station on the island of brissago and a botanical garden https://www.isoledibrissago.ti.ch/en/botanical-garden/areas-of-the-botanical-garden.

Lugano is amongst the warmest places in Switzerland, along with Locarno and Grono. Lugano has a rare temperate version of a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) for the latitude, closely bordering on a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) due to the warmer average being 22 °C (71.6 °F).^[27] Although the US National Academy of Sciences considers a sea-like climate,^[28] the vegetation is from the subtropics with deciduous forest.^[29][30] It is characterized by relatively mild winters and warm humid summers.^[31] It has an average of 98.1 days of rain or snow per year and on average receives 1,559 mm (61.4 in) of precipitation. The wettest month is May during which Lugano receives an average of 196 mm (7.7 in) of rain, while the driest month of the year is February with an average of 52 mm (2.0 in) of precipitation over 4.6 days.^[32]

Located on a plain in southern Switzerland and protected by the Alps and lakes, the climate is one of the mildest in the country, typical of the Italian Lakes in the Insubrian region. In addition, the precipitation is ample while the deviations of temperature are moderate. Lugano is also one of the sunniest Swiss cities.^[33] The greatest precipitates anticipate and succeed much of the summer. Winter freezing temperatures are more common on the night of January (between 27 and 28 days), but the low temperatures remains are rare and do not occur every year. Much of the summer is pleasant, but warm days above 30 °C (86 °F) are not uncommon (average of about 8 days).^[32]

It usually snows every winter, but often a single snowfall doesn't leave more than 50cm on the ground. Heavier snowfalls or blizzards are possibile but not very common.^[32]

The highest temperature recorded in Lugano is 38.0 °C (100.4 °F), recorded in July 1945, with the lowest temperature recorded being −20.4 °C (−4.7 °F), recorded in February 1929.^[34]

 

[Harry’s Palms]

That is a significant amount of precipitation. That makes the plants very happy , and it shows. My friend Yan is from Switzerland . I will have to show him your pics, if you don’t mind. Harry

[Mazat]

  On 3/26/2025 at 3:55 PM, Harry’s Palms said:

That is a significant amount of precipitation. That makes the plants very happy , and it shows. My friend Yan is from Switzerland . I will have to show him your pics, if you don’t mind. Harry

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yes, we also find the large amount of rain remarkable. in addition, rice has been cultivated in the maggia valley in ticino since 1997, but apparently only in small quantities.

yes, you are welcome to show him the pictures. 

by the way, quinten lake walen in the canton of st. gallen has a very similar climate to lugano, ascona and locarno is also very mild in winter and very suitable for palm trees and exotic plants. the location is extremely good and it is often the case that the maximum temperature on some days in winter is sometimes warmer than weather stations in the mediterranean region. a davis weather station has been in operation there since 2012 with a person we know.

maybe Yan knows quinten.

lake walen: (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinten) quinten is after lugano. Ascona, locarno, cadenazzo together with montreux on of the warmest places in Switzerland.one of the warmest places in switzerland due to its location with regard to average annual temperature and especially with regard to lowest temperatures usda zone 8b slowly transitioning to 9a and has a similar climate to lugano, ascona, locarno on the lakes of ticino
and has around 1,500 mm of rain per year and around 2050 h / sun per year, 12 °C / 53.6 °F average annual temperature (1991-2020).

[Palmensammler]

  On 3/26/2025 at 11:02 AM, Mazat said:

we were recently in Locarno in the south of Switzerland. Here are some impressions of impressive CIDP and other exotics 

That made me feel small at 6ft 2inch😁

 

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Hi Tom,

I know this area very well. Sometimes, when I'm on a business trip to Italy and I have some time I leave the highway to visit Locarno and Ascona. Especially close to the lake there are so many palms and other exotics. At the right time you can collect many different seeds.

Eckhard

[STLOUISPALMGUY]

  On 3/26/2025 at 11:02 AM, Mazat said:

we were recently in Locarno in the south of Switzerland. Here are some impressions of impressive CIDP and other exotics 

That made me feel small at 6ft 2inch😁

No

 

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Funny enough I was just there and I grabbed some of the old seeds from the Jubea palm to see if I could get some to germinate. We’ll see!

[happypalms]

The hills are alive!!!

[Mazat]

  On 3/27/2025 at 12:12 AM, STLOUISPALMGUY said:

Funny enough I was just there and I grabbed some of the old seeds from the Jubea palm to see if I could get some to germinate. We’ll see!

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that's exciting. how small the world is. good that you still have some seeds with you. i think it's great!
they are very beautiful places and so varied in terms of plants and exotic plants, we are always very enthusiastic. there is also a lot growing for the broadband.

[Mazat]

  On 3/26/2025 at 7:02 PM, Palmensammler said:

Hi Tom,

I know this area very well. Sometimes, when I'm on a business trip to Italy and I have some time I leave the highway to visit Locarno and Ascona. Especially close to the lake there are so many palms and other exotics. At the right time you can collect many different seeds.

Eckhard

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hello Eckhard

that's a good thing that you can combine your job with your hobby in this way. yes, that's true about the seeds. 
it's an area that never fails to please.

kind regards

Tom

[ChrisA]

Wonderful pictures! The palms are fantastic, but those Camellias really blew my socks off, such gorgeous flowers and their leaves are very pleasing as well.

[Mazat]

  On 3/27/2025 at 12:27 PM, ChrisA said:

Wonderful pictures! The palms are fantastic, but those Camellias really blew my socks off, such gorgeous flowers and their leaves are very pleasing as well.

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thank you very much.,Chris. i'm glad you like it.
yes, to be honest, i was also speechless when i saw the camellias. sabine was completely beside herself and didn't want to leave.

[SeanK]

Very nice Jubaea. Looks like Camellias thrive there. 

[SeanK]

Climate is interesting. I would put the minimum (zone) near-10°C. However, it sees more snow on average than we would here in the SE US.

[happypalms]

  On 3/26/2025 at 12:03 PM, Harry’s Palms said:

Very nice pictures . I had no idea that palms would grow in Switzerland, and some of those are very old , especially those Trachycarpus and the Jubea . Harry

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When I think of Switzerland I think off the von trapp family and husquvarna chainsaws. Oh and very expensive prices. Richard 

[peachy]

+I was surprised by the ancient Cycas revulata specimens. I have had mine for 20 years and it has 50cm of trunk. Those big boys must have at least a century behind them. The Chaemorops looked good too even though planted so close to water. This one of the reason that if I really like a palm, I buy it regardless of the climate requirements. If I can provide a suitable microclimate it amazing what survives here for me. Of course I also have to hide a lot of dead bodies from the gloating "I told you so" people.

Peachy

[ChrisA]

  On 3/27/2025 at 9:40 PM, happypalms said:

When I think of Switzerland I think off the von trapp family and husquvarna chainsaws. Oh and very expensive prices. Richard 

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Husqvarna is Swedish. 😂 

[Mazat]

here are some more interesting facts with the absolute minimum temperatures for Lugano and Locarno over the last 25 years. also enclosed are the data for Quinten Lake Walen and Walenstadt on Lake Walen, which are also very mild winters by local standards.
the usda zone of Lugano was 8b in 1991 - 2020 and the same for Locarno. the data are from the official MeteoSwiss stations, the others from Davis weather stations Quinten and Walenstadt.

[Mazat]

  On 3/27/2025 at 11:47 PM, peachy said:

+I was surprised by the ancient Cycas revulata specimens. I have had mine for 20 years and it has 50cm of trunk. Those big boys must have at least a century behind them. The Chaemorops looked good too even though planted so close to water. This one of the reason that if I really like a palm, I buy it regardless of the climate requirements. If I can provide a suitable microclimate it amazing what survives here for me. Of course I also have to hide a lot of dead bodies from the gloating "I told you so" people.

Peachy

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I'm glad you like the pictures,
yes, that will be true. they really are very old, beautiful specimens of cycas revoluta. sabine told me the same thing last evening as you did, that these plants are probably very old.
your and her feminine intuition, coupled with your knowledge, gives a realistic estimate.

[Mazat]

a good colleague of ours sent me this video tonight, of washingtonia robusta / filibusta ? in the little village of brissago in southern ticino. he was still laughing because i was nearby but didn't know they were there.
amazing how they thrive.