Ita
Ita
24/05/2021

The hibernation is over: BAM - Biblioteca degli Alberi Milano – Portanuova’s green lung – unveils all its lush vegetation.

An outstanding collection of “artworks” outlined by plant designers and including 22 circular forests, about 500 tree species, over 100 ornamental plants, and over 135 thousand herbs. Our green book is always open to everyone, and in this season, it livens up with colours, as well as butterflies and little birds. If you’re looking for a selfie spot, or a natural setting for your botanical photography, this is the place to be! Above all, it is a garden where you may meet, rest, practice yoga, jog, or take part in one of the daily open-air cultural free events offered by BAM. Take a deep breath and absorb the intense scents of nature, to the delight of your most emotional sense: smell; the sense that triggers memories and boosts our psychophysical well-being.

Magnolias: the scent of paradise.
The circle of magnolias, one of BAM’s most admired circular forests, is the District’s announcer of springtime. The flowers unleash the distinguishingly intense smell we all know, which botanists call Heaven Scent.

The chalice-shaped flowers are pink on the outside and white on the inside, and have incredible therapeutic properties.

Properties: antipyretic; balances mind and soul.
In its distilled essential oil form, magnolia contains magnolol and honokiol, two polyphenols that attenuate cell aging. Put a few drops in your bathtub or a diffuser: it is a natural relaxant.

Fun fact: magnolia essential oil is a neurostimulator, thus improves concentration by adjusting blood pressure and heart rate. That is why it is recommended during meditation or yoga.

Pear blossoms: soft white clouds in the nearby Piazza Einaudi.
As if in an orchestra, the heavenly scent of the magnolia flowers is promptly responded by the 42 blossoming pear trees (Pyrus calleryana “Chanticleer”) embracing Piazza Einaudi like a cloud of cotton candy. Can you smell that lovely fragrance? It’s the flowers of these Chinese and Vietnamese ornamental pear trees, chosen – along with their decorative quality – for their resistance to pollution, drought, and freezing, along with their roots’ ability to prevent soil erosion. So these oriental pears are not only beautiful, but they also add a plus to their surroundings: their symphony of fragrances and colours provides a frame and decoration to the renovated Pirelli 35.

Fun fact: the pear tree was once linked to Aphrodite and considered an erotic symbol. In China, on the other hand, it is a symbol of justice, longevity, purity, wisdom, and good administration. Korean legends, instead, say that the tree has the power to grant women’s fertility, good luck for exams, wisdom, and health.

The magic of scents and colours, from the bottom up.
The dense grassy carpets are rolled out for those performing sports, walking, or simply eager to lay down and gaze at the sky. In an almost seductive dance, the Iris sibirica “Perry’s Blue” shakes around before us, boasting a kaleidoscope of flashy and colourful flowers that serve as a shelter and nutrition for numerous pollinators.

Use in psycho-aromatherapy: it is helpful when you feel confused, lost, and doubtful about decisions to make. It helps regain inner harmony and balance, and favours clearness of mind when making judgements. Iris essential oil reduces tiredness and is a precious ally against lack of attention.

Cosmetic properties: in the essential oil form, it rejuvenates the skin by stimulating deep cell regeneration.

Portanuova is the District of rebirth, and this year the blooming BAM announces a new spring season like never before. The flowers in bloom and their scents are nature’s invitation letter to the people: “Come back to normal life, and make activities and relationships blossom again”! Just like trees, plants, and flowers regenerate every year after the harsh winter.

BAM is a project by the Fondazione Riccardo Catella: a public-private partnership with the City of Milan.

Catch all the BAM cultural initiatives dedicated to springtime at https://bam.milano.it/