Perhaps somewhat inconspicuous at first glance, but all the more significant in its symbolic message, the herb Paris has become Flower of the Year 2022. With its four lush green, pointed leaves and a filigree flower shape, it is already on the Red List of endangered plants in various German federal states. The herb Paris forms only one blue-black berry per plant shoot, which very much limits its long-distance spread via the seeds.

The "Loki Schmidt Foundation" in Hamburg, which chose this flower, not only wants to draw attention to the endangered wild plants with this choice, but also to refer to the protection of old, near-natural and wild forests. In the long term, plants and animals should be given a natural and untouched habitat and time to spread. These mixed forests are home to many old and thick deciduous trees, such as beech and oak, with a closed canopy. This makes them one of the most species-rich habitats in our landscape, which is true for almost five percent of the forests in Germany and means free development for living creatures.

Nature with its meadows, forests and fields offers peace, relaxation, energy and inspiration for all of us. But MEISSEN artists in particular look at their surroundings with different eyes. They discover new extraordinary shapes, painterly subtleties and natural unevenness in it, which they realise in their works - and have been doing so since 1710. It is almost unbelievable how many drawings, decors and shapes have accumulated over the centuries. Among the 6,000 different decors are numerous decors of species-protected plants. A treasure trove of detailed representations that write a piece of history. Because on the basis of these valuable botanical drawings in our archives, the cultural heritage will also be preserved for the future.