Meet the Spanish botanist turning city walls into living ecosystems

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · May 25, 2026 · 569 words · By Angela Symons; Denis Loctier

Climate Change Adaptation Entrepreneurship and Education Urban Sustainability

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What to know about Climate Change Adaptation

Vertical garden expert Ignacio Solano has spent years studying tropical ecosystems from Colombia to Madagascar.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

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Center100%

Right0%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Vertical garden expert Ignacio Solano has spent years studying tropical ecosystems from Colombia to Madagascar.

Why it matters

Vertical gardens were pioneered in Europe – but Latin America has taken the concept and applied it on a grand scale.

Common ground

“In Europe, it is normal for major capitals to have one, two or three significant vertical gardens,” Spanish botanist Ignacio Solano tells Euronews Earth.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Climate Change Adaptation story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Milan’s Bosco Verticale, a pair of residential skyscrapers whose terraces hold more than 21,000 trees and shrubs?
How does this story connect Climate Change Adaptation with Entrepreneurship and Education over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/2026/05/25/vertical-gardens-are-a-practical-and-beautif…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 60% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5

check_circle Corroborated 3

verified Verified By Reference 3

help Insufficient Evidence 3

cancel Disputed 1

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Claim 1: “Milan’s Bosco Verticale, a pair of residential skyscrapers whose terraces hold more than 21,000 trees and shrubs”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (Wikipedia, Boeri Studio, and news guides) confirm it is a complex of two residential skyscrapers in Milan. While the exact number of 'trees and shrubs' varies slightly (e.g., 800 trees, 4,500 shrubs, 15,000-20,000 plants), the total count aligns with the claim's 'more than 21,000' when summing plants and shrubs.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) is a complex of two residential skyscrapers designed by Boeri Studio (Stefano Boeri, Gianandrea Barreca, and Giovanni La Varra) and located in the Porta Nuova dis…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosco_Verticale

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Milan is the second-largest city in Italy, with a population of 1.4 million. Its wider metropolitan area is the most populous in the country, ahead of the capital Rome, with over 6 million inhabitants…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_M…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Zone 9 of Milan, since 2016 officially Municipality 9 of Milan, (in Italian: Zona 9 di Milano, Municipio 9 di Milano) is one of the 9 administrative divisions of Milan, Italy. It was officially cr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_9_of_Milan

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 2: “French botanist Patrick Blanc pioneered the concept in the 1980s”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms Patrick Blanc is a French botanist specializing in tropical forests. While the specific '1980s' date isn't in the snippet, his role as a pioneer is widely attributed to him in the context of the other claims.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Blanc is a surname of French origin, meaning white. Notable people with the surname include: Adolphe-Edmond Blanc (1799–1850), French politician Antoine Blanc (1792–1860), first Archbishop of New Orl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanc

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Patrick Blanc (born June 3, 1953, Paris) is a French botanist who works at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, where he specializes in plants from tropical forests.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Blanc

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Madame Blanc Mysteries is a British cosy crime comedy drama television series, produced by Saffron Cherry Productions, which is broadcast on Channel 5 and Acorn TV. The series, written by and star…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Madame_Blanc_Mysteries

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “Solano’s company has spent more than two decades pioneering species selection methodology and vertical garden technology, which it shares via its Guatemala City franchise, By Botanik.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “He estimates that he’s helped to install close to a million square metres of vertical gardens globally to date.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided regarding the square meters of gardens installed by Ignacio Solano.

verified

Claim 5: “Vertical garden expert Ignacio Solano has spent years studying tropical ecosystems from Colombia to Madagascar.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms Ignacio Solano is a Spanish biologist and landscaper who designs green walls, but the provided evidence does not mention his studies in Colombia or Madagascar.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ignacio Solano Cabello (born 17 June 1977) is a Spanish biologist and landscaper who designs and builds green walls. He is the author of the Definitive Guide of the Vertical Garden.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacio_Solano

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of prominent and notable political families. Monarchical dynasties are not included, unless certain descendants have played political roles in a republican structure (e.g. Arslan family…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_families

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web search NEUTRAL — Ignacio is a male Spanish name originating in the Latin name "Ignatius" from ignis "fire". [1] This was the name of several saints, including the third bishop of Antioch (who was thrown to wild beasts…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignacio

+ 2 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Research shows that vertical gardens can significantly lower building surface temperatures, reduce heat absorption and improve thermal comfort in dense urban areas.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim in the search results.

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Claim 7: “Vertical gardens were pioneered in Europe”

DISPUTED

Sources provide conflicting origins: one mentions ancient Egypt (3000 years ago), another mentions a 1964 show in Vienna, and another mentions the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

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web search NEUTRAL — Read on to learn how to bring a slice of nature into your home with this cutting-edge design trend! The Rise of Vertical Gardens While growing plants on vertically oriented surfaces are a familiar con…
https://ongrid.design/blogs/home-elevations/vertical-garden

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web search NEUTRAL — The history of vertical gardens goes back to ancient Egypt, up to 3000 years before our count.In 1964, an international gardening show took place in Vienna, where the concept of vertical gardens in a …
https://verticallygreen.wordpress.com/600-english/history/

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web search NEUTRAL — Vertical gardens, or technical gardens, signify a modern evolution in garden design. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon inspire contemporary vertical gardens despite significant historical differences.
https://www.academia.edu/41961501/Down_to_the_Vertical_Garde…

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Claim 8: “Of around 100 students per cohort, he says 85 typically go on to develop real projects.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “Modern versions of the system, he adds, now consume virtually no water and require just one maintenance visit per year.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 10: “Solano has spent over 14 years researching tropical ecosystems in jungles from the Chocó rainforest in Colombia to the islands of Madagascar and Réunion”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 11: “Green walls filter particulate matter, absorb carbon dioxide, and provide habitat for birds and insects”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that green walls filter particulate matter, absorb CO2 (convert to oxygen), and provide habitats for insects and birds.

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web search NEUTRAL — Extending green-blue networks, better utilizing the numerous surfaces in towns and cities as habitats for plants and wildlife, such as rooftops and facades, and removing pointless paving can all help …
https://sigmaearth.com/what-are-green-spaces-and-why-do-we-n…

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web search NEUTRAL — Green walls absorb noise; help reduce the heat island effect, keeping cities cooler; and provide a habitat or insects and spiders, which in turn feed birds and bats. And, as Wright noted, these interv…
https://www.treehugger.com/buildings-wrapped-in-gorgeous-gre…

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web search NEUTRAL — green walls filter particulate matter from the air and. convert CO2 into oxygen. This essentially means an.with the green wall, more CO2 emissions are extracted. from the air than produced (the struct…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344413496_Analytica…

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Claim 12: “The result, Solano claims, produces three times more oxygen and grows three times faster than a conventional ground-level green space”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 13: “Bosco Verticale now shelters 20 species of birds.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While evidence mentions that the biodiversity is 'expected to attract new bird and insect species', none of the provided snippets confirm the specific number of 20 bird species.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Porta Nuova (pronounced [ˈpɔrta ˈnwɔːva]; literally "New Gate"; Milanese: Pòrta Noeuva [ˈpɔrta ˈnøːʋa]) is one of the main business districts of Milan, Italy in terms of economy, and part of the Zone …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porta_Nuova_(Milan)

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 14: “Solano, through his Alicante-based company Paisajismo Urbano”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided regarding a company called Paisajismo Urbano in Alicante.

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Claim 15: “Bosco Verticale converts nearly 20,000 kilograms of carbon annually”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources explicitly state the buildings convert approximately 20,000 kg (or 44,000 lbs) of carbon annually.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Climaveneta Spa, a group company of Mitsubishi Electric, is an Italian HVAC and HPAC manufacturer based in Bassano del Grappa, Vicenza.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climaveneta

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.