Dendroflora parków i ogrodów Pomorskiego Szlaku Cysterskiego

Ordo Cisterciensis was set up on March 21, 1098 in France. The Benedectine monks were the founders who aimed at linking the principles of Benedict of Nursia with ascetism and the eremitical ideal of living. The Cistercians came to Pomerania in the first half of the 12th century. Their presence resulted in the evolution of science, culture, medicine, crafts and agriculture. Several smaller objects such as parish churches, chapels, manor houses, parks, gardens and farmhouses bring back memories of brilliance and affluence of Cistercian monasteries in Gdańsk Oliwa, Kartuzy, Starzyński Dwór, Żarnowiec, Puck, Bukowo Morskie, Iwięcino, Skibno, Słowino and Koszalin-Góra Chełmska. In 1990 the Council of Europe undertook a decision to create a tourist path based upon ‘the foot steps of the Cistercian monks’ under the auspices of the international programme ‘European Cultural Routes’. Field studies that were undertaken in 2017-2019 included Postcysterian objects mentioned above. The study aims at presenting geographical–historical status, range groups and life forms of the chosen parks and gardens. The dendroflora of parks and gardens comprises 237 taxa. They belong to 109 genera and 48 families. A total of nine species covered by legal protection were reported: Pinus cembra, Rhododendron luteum, Rosa gallica, Sorbus torminalis, Sorbus intermedia, Hippophae rhamnoides, Lonicera periclymenum, Pinus mugo and Taxus baccata. Among rare species present we should mention: Taxodium distichum, Acer campestre, Ginkgo biloba, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Liriodendron tulipifera and Wollemia nobilis.