Summer-time alpines...alpines of July

This is Bartsia alpina, a hemiparasite. It occurs in northern Europe but the only place in North America for this velvety beauty is northern Newfoundland.

A huge Silene acaulis...a testimony to the arctic-like climate in this part of Newfoundland is the fact that it is still blooming in mid-July.

Todd, we sure are lucky that you chose DG to participate in. You bring so much more than just pretty pictures.

A sessile, toothed and opposite leafed Baptisia?


Edited:
OOPS! - Baptisia, Bartsia. My eyes see what they want to see.
Sorry about that.

This message was edited Jul 18, 2008 9:32 AM

This area is covered in Pyrola asarifolia

Rubus arcticus is pretty common too.

Saxifraga cespitosa

Rhodiola rosea

Here is typical scenery on our limestone barrens where these beauties live.

these are just amazing specimens. That Silene Acaulis is huge!

Hi all! Newbie here- and your flowers are beautiful! I am not sure if where I am is really alpine- although I can grow them with a little supplemental moisture- we are high plains/foothills and lots of wind, very cold in winter- hot in summer. Most of my 'gardens' are really rock gardens, as that is what I have to work with and they all need to be 'horse proof', and most horses don't want to walk over rocks to eat something other than grass. Anyway- here is my still blooming Gaura coccinea- which I have in profusion all over our property and has become one of my favorites:

Kathy

I really like Gaura coccinea! They grow in profusion along the (slightly disturbed edge of the) bike path through the semi-natural park I cycle through... wide range of pinks (in varying intensity) to orangey colors. I always plan to collect seed of the more vividly colored ones, but the strip right along the path always gets mowed while they're in full bloom!

Welcome to the forums, Kathy! Alpine or not, you're in better area than a lot of us (like me in Minnesota). Nice pic too. I'd never heard of Gaura coccinea before. To me, it looks a lot nicer than the gaura they sell as regular perennials (Gaura lindheimeri).

Todd, the limestones barrens shot is really interesting. As you probably thought, I had now idea.

I've seen pictures of Rhodiola rosea being more lax in the Alaskan landscape coastal-ish I think), producing the "king's crown" effect. Would that be due to the environment, or is it a different form from that of northern NL?

And is that a Betula nana in the Pyrola pic?

I'm not sure if our Rhodiola is a differnt subspecies or not...ours are always upright. The birch is Betula pumila...very similar to B. pumila.

Finding Cypripedium parviflorum still in bloom was a bonus!

In the mountains here, Rhodiola rosea is never more than a (EDIT) couple of inches or so tall (see pic), and always appears red-flowered (although the flowers are sexually dimorphic somehow, with both red and yellow flowers, right?) In my trough, they are a robust 12" tall... multi-stemmed and yellow-flowered!


This message was edited Jul 19, 2008 9:52 PM

Our natives are always yellow (male) but females may be reddish, but not as red as the ones you show! Here is a shot with both males and females.

Coolness.

A few meager offerings from my garden...
Erodium petraeum ssp. crispum, starting to bloom; of course, the interesting thing will be whether it winters over or not...

Androsace lanuginosa:

Gentiana lutea:

Onosma stellulatum - finally blooming after I've-lost-count-how-many years!

Interesting foliage, not-so-spectacular flowers on Geranium sessiflorum nigricans. (Again, this plant is just from this spring, but I expect it should be hardy.)

Not so meager Lori! Some choice stuff. We have that geranium at our BG..it is a bit weedy.

My rockery is currently overrun with Allium cyathophorum farreri (pink). the blue is campanula patula and Dracocephalum tanguticum while the large yellow patch is Eriophyllum lanatum.

A gem I grew from seed...Cremanthodium arnecoides...it is slug fodder.

Erica cinerea 'Atropurpurea' is peaking now

Lovely photo!

Edit: Make that photoS! (I posted at the same time as other photos were coming up, LOL!)

This message was edited Jul 24, 2008 4:48 PM

Another choice alpine...Delphinium kamaonense

Codonopsis clematidae...really too tall for the rockery but from alpine regions nonetheless

Campanula cochlearifolia runs all over the place!

and its peak time for all the forms of Campanula carpatica

Campanula garganica 'Dickson's Gold'

wow! such vivid colors.

Boy, and I thought my Onosma alboroseum was unprecocious! But when I look at my records, they only took three years from seed. At the end of the first season 2006, I thought they were easily large enough to bloom in 2007. I guess it just seemed like forever . . . .

First blooms in 2008:

Well I can't even grow Onosma..they turn to mush in winter.

Hey, I have one flower on my Silene acaulis in a trough, whoohoo! (I'll be merciful and spare you the picture of it, LOL!)

Lithodora oleifolia has been reblooming lightly:

I hear ya. I think I had a total of four this year on a 2 inch(5cm) diameter plant, one or none the year before, but two when it was only a half inch(1.3cm). I had such high hopes. . .

Look what I noticed yesterday! Coryphantha sulcata... just planted this spring, so I can't take any credit for it, however, LOL! (Beaver Creek does sell excellent quality plants, though, I must say.)

Campanula x carpatica 'Thor-Pedo':

I've been waiting and waiting for Allium beesianum to flower. It was in bud for weeks, but it has finally turned blue! Bye the way, Todd, the Allium flavum mix that you kindly sent me seed of has flowered this year in lovely ocher, yellow, and peach shades. I'm amazed that bulbs grown from seed would flower so soon - they were like grains of rice when I planted them in the garden a few months ago.

Gentiana septemfida flowers have just opened. I thought the drought last summer had killed this plant, but it came back!

Last and possibly least, Sedum pluricaule 'Rose Carpet' (according to the label). It lacks the vigor to actually form a carpet, and for most of the year just blends into the gravel, except for when the bright rosy pink flowers start to open.