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As in 2021 and 2022, the arnica harvest is canceled in the Hautes-Vosges. There are not enough flowers. The situation worries and the department launches a rescue program for this medicinal plant.
It is the favorite site of a remarkable flower: 140 hectares protected on the Markstein plateau, where arnica flourished in 2017. Today, the landscape has changed, because for three years, the plant has become rare . “This year, there are quite a few arnicas on this plot”, says Michaël Gérard, Arnica project manager. Little snowy winters and periods of drought disrupt the arnica cycle.
Sowing the plant in the garden center
To save the emblem of the Vosges, a relocation program has been initiated. The plot is kept out of sight, while 500 arnica plants were introduced five years ago. “The results show 30% recovery. It is a unique experiment in France”, explains the Arnica project manager.
To start this program, it was necessary to sow the plant in garden center. Those who unlocked the secret of arnica in cultivation are two nurserymen from the Vosges. They have been testing for ten years. “You have the presence of a fungus that lives in symbiosis with the plant”, highlights Lionel Erhartco-manager of the Demoiselle nursery. While waiting for the plant to find its place in an environment naturalculture is the only way to resist.