Alpine flowers and herbs

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Alpine plants are widely used in the design of alpine slides and rockeries. Unpretentiousness in care, variety of species and varieties, decorative effect throughout the season … All these factors make alpine herbs and flowers of alpine meadows extremely popular among gardeners. These plants can be used in single plantings, in mixed groups, as well as planted in pots and containers. Check out the photos and names of alpine flowers offered on this page, as well as the conditions for their cultivation.

Flowers of alpine meadows: mordovnik, morina, paradisea and carlin

ECHINOPS Aster family (composite).

About 100 species of tall (80-150 cm) rhizomatous perennials grow in the subalpine meadows of Europe and Asia. They have straight, stiff, thick, branched stems covered with spiky pinnately dissected grey-green leaves. The stems end in a terminal globular inflorescence (5-8 cm in diameter) of small funnel-shaped flowers, blue or white. These alpine flowers bear fruit profusely, form self-seeding.

Types and varieties:

Mordovnik squat (E. humilis) – 50 cm high, pale blue inflorescences.

Mordovnik ordinary (E. ritro) – 120 cm high, capitate inflorescence, bluish.

Ball-headed muzzle (E. sphaerocephalus) – up to 200 cm high, pale blue flowers, each surrounded by a wrapper of prickly bracts.

Growing conditions. Sunny and semi-shaded areas with any soil. Drought- and frost-resistant, unpretentious.

Reproduction. Seeds (sowing before winter) and dividing the bush (in spring and late summer). Planting density – 5 pcs. per 1 m2.

MORINA The family of vorsyankovye.

Morina longifolia (M. longifolia) – medium height (60-100 cm) shrub perennial from the subalpine meadows of the Himalayas.

Pay attention to the photo of these alpine flowers: they have beautiful prickly leaves densely covering the stems, and the final inflorescence of small white-pink flowers.

Growing conditions. Sunny areas with well-drained fertile soil.

Reproduction. The division of the bush (spring). Planting density – single.

PARADISEA Asphodelaceae (lily) family.

Paradisea liliaceus is a short-rhizome perennial from the alpine meadows of the mountains of Southern Europe. This alpine flower has narrow basal leaves and a peduncle 50-60 cm high, ending in a racemose inflorescence of 8-10 white bell-shaped flowers. In the middle of summer, the growing season ends.

Growing conditions. Sunny areas with well-drained light sandy soils.

reproduction. By dividing the rhizome (after flowering), by seeds (sowing before winter). Seedlings bloom in the 4-5th year. Planting density – single.

CARLINA Aster family (composite).

Perennial with a taproot that penetrates deep into rock crevices. It grows in the Alpine belt of the Balkans, about 20 species are known. Leaves in a basal rosette, pinnately dissected, elongated (up to 20 cm), with spiky teeth along the edge. In the center of a dense rosette at the end of July – August, a brownish-purple bud appears, opening, it turns into a large basket with a diameter of 5-7 cm. Its middle is made of brownish tubular flowers, spiky silver leaves of the wrapper are located along the edges. They are narrow, rigid, as if cut out of foil. In central Russia, seeds rarely ripen.

Kinds:

Carlin stemless (C. acaulis) – the basket is almost pressed to the ground.

Karlina stalked (C. caulescens) – a taller peduncle.

Varieties:

“Simplex” – has a stem up to 15-16 cm long.

“Bronze” – distinguished by bronze-colored leaves.

Growing conditions. Sunny places with well-drained, stony, neutral soils.

Reproduction. Only seeds. Sowing in the spring, the seedlings dive right into place, as the plant does not like transplants. Planting density – 5 pcs. per 1 m2.

A wonderful decoration of sunny rockeries, where the beauty of the stone emphasizes the originality of the appearance of this plant. Can be planted in the border of flower beds from drought-resistant species.

Alpine flowers: zygadenus, forget-me-not, two-seed and feverfew

ZIGADENUS Melantiev family (lily).

Zigadenus graceful (Z. eiegans) is a bulbous perennial from the subalpine meadows of the Rocky Mountains (North America).

The name of these alpine flowers speaks for itself – the leaves of the plant are narrow, cereal-like, light green, the flowers are white, graceful, with a pronounced green center, star-shaped in a racemose inflorescence. Plant height 30-40 cm.

Growing conditions. Sunny or semi-shaded areas with loose, well-drained soils.

reproduction. Bulbs – children, planting at the end of summer; seeds (sowing before winter).

This graceful plant will decorate a rockery, a small flower garden, it is suitable for cutting.

MYOSOTIS Borage family.

Graceful, beloved by all plant with bright blue flowers. Of the 50 known species, the most popular are perennials with dark green oval leaves and weak stems bearing numerous small flowers collected in a whorl inflorescence. This plant of alpine meadows has long and firmly entered the culture of the middle lane, in Russia they even compose songs about it, dedicate poems.

Types and varieties:

Alpine forget -me-not (M. aipestre) – perennial 5-15 cm high, basal leaves. Greyish, hairy, grows on rocks.

Forget-me-not forest (M. syivatica) – juvenile 20-30 cm high, leaves are wide, wintering, grows in forests.

Marsh forget -me-not (M. paiustris) is a perennial with a creeping rhizome, 40-50 cm high, a large flower (up to 12 cm).

More often cultivated as biennial varieties of forest forget-me-nots:

“BLue Ball”

“Victoria”

Indigo Compacta

“Music” – with blue flowers.

“RosyLva”

“Carmine King” – with pink flowers.

“ALba” – with white.

Growing conditions. Shaded and semi-shaded places with moist loose soils.

reproduction. Seeds (sowing in spring or summer), dividing the bush (summer). Capable of weeding. Planting density – 25 pcs. per 1 m2.

HUTCHINSIA Bush family (cruciferous).

Plants of mossy, limestone rocks of the mountains of Western Europe, growing near the borders of snow. These are low (10-15 cm) “pillows” with small pinnate leaves.

As you can see in the photo, this alpine plant has a long brush of small white flowers.

Kinds:

Alpine two-seed (H. alpina).

Auerswald’s two-seed (H. auerswaldii).

Growing conditions. Rocky areas in partial shade, near water.

reproduction. Seeds (sowing in spring) and dividing the bush (end of coloring of summer flowers). Planting density – 16 pcs. per 1 m2.

Use in shaded, moist places in rockeries and as a border.

PYRETHRUM Aster family (composite).

Short-rhizome perennials from the subalpine meadows of the mountains of Southern Europe. The leaves are pinnate, in a basal rosette, peduncles up to 50 cm with a single large (6-10 cm) basket – “chamomile” at the top.

Kinds:

Feverfew red (P. coccineum);

Pink feverfew (P. roseum) – from the meadows of the Caucasus.

Feverfew hybrid (P. x hybrida) – has terry pink or red baskets.

Varieties:

Feverfew “Alfred” – terry;

May Robinson

Regent.

Growing conditions. Sunny areas with rich, normally moist soils.

Reproduction. Juvenile, divide and transplant in the 3rd year.

Sow seeds in spring, seedlings bloom in the 2nd year. Planting density – 18 pcs. per 1 m2.

Herbs of alpine meadows: telekia, cow parsnip and snakehead

TELEKIA Aster family (composite).

Beautiful telekia (T. speciosa) is a tall herbaceous perennial that forms a sprawling bush up to 150 cm high.

In nature, this flower of alpine meadows is found in the Caucasus and in light forests. The predominant habitat is alpine meadows of low mountains. It has long been used in culture, especially in parks where telekia weeds and grows on its own. The leaves are large in a basal rosette and on a branching stem with a short petiole. Baskets are yellow, large “daisies”, up to 9 cm in diameter.

Growing conditions. The plant is undemanding, grows on almost any soil in the sun and in partial shade.

reproduction. Seeds (sowing in autumn or spring), seedlings bloom in the 2nd year. Capable of weeding, therefore, after the end of mass flowering, the stems are cut. It is possible to divide the bush (in spring and at the end of summer). Planting density – 5 pcs. per 1 m2.

HERACLEUM Celery (umbrella) family.

Hogweed Mantegazzi (H. mantegazzianum) – perennial herbs that form a large spectacular umbrella of snow-white flowers. But most species of this genus are capable of producing severe burns, so they cannot be used as ornamental plants.

Hogweed is a grass of alpine meadows and subalpine meadows of the Caucasus. They have tall (up to 250 cm) branching stems that form a sprawling bush. The leaves of the rosette are large, trifoliately dissected, with sharp lobes; white flowers in large umbels.

Growing conditions. Sunny wet areas with any soil.

Reproduction. Seeds (sowing before winter) and dividing the bush (in spring).

Planting density – single.

They are planted in separate bushes on the lawn, in flower beds of the “natural garden” style, in the background of mixborders, in dry bouquets.

DRACOCEPHALUM Family of yasnotkovye (labial).

Perennial herbs (45 species) of meadows, rocks and screes of the Alpine belt of the mountains of Siberia and the Far East. Dense, often hairy, leafy stems depart from a thick, short, branched rhizome; flowers are two-lipped, 2-4 cm long, in false whorls, blue or purple. Plants demanding specific environmental conditions.

Types and varieties:

Ruysh snakehead (D. ruyschiana) – limestone rocks of Siberia and Eastern Europe, linear, dark green leaves, blue-violet corolla.

Large-flowered snakehead (D. grandiflorum) – erect stems, pubescent, flowers up to 5 cm long, bright blue, in a capitate inflorescence.

Alien snakehead (D. peregrinum) – light purple corolla.

Growing conditions. Demanding on light (grow only in bright sun), need poor, well-drained, neutral or alkaline soils and fairly high humidity.

reproduction. Seeds (sowing before winter), dividing the bush (in spring). Planting density -16 pcs. per 1 m2.

Plants of alpine and subalpine meadows: chionodoxa and meum

CHIONODOXA Lily family.

Bulbous plant from the alpine meadows of the Mediterranean mountains. There are 5 species in the genus. These are small, graceful plants 10-15 cm high, with narrow linear leaves and a raceme of star-shaped flowers. A typical spring ephemeroid.

Chionodox giant (C. gigantea) – with the largest flowers (up to 4 cm in diameter), they are star-shaped, bright blue, lighter in the center.

Chionodox Lucilia (C. luciliae) – flowers are smaller, bright blue with a white center, 6-8 in a brush.

Hionodoksa sardensis (C. sardensis) – the flowers are smaller, bright blue, without a white spot in the center, blooms earlier than other species.

Varieties:

White – “Alba”

Pink “Pink Giant”.

Growing conditions. Sunny areas (or partial shade) with well-drained, fertile, moderately moist soils.

reproduction. Seeds (sowing before winter) or bulbs. They are planted in September to a depth of 6-8 cm. They are experienced once every 5-6 years. Cage density – 25 pcs. per 1 m2.

An excellent plant for creating spring-blooming spots under tree crowns, in rockeries, on the lawn, where it propagates by self-sowing. Cut flowers can stand in small vases for 5-6 days. Suitable for forcing and planting in a container.

Meum (MEUM). Celery (umbrella) family.

Meum atamanta (M. athamanticum) is a plant of alpine and subalpine meadows, as well as the mountains of Western Europe and the Carpathians, is a rhizomatous perennial . A low (30-40 cm) bush is formed by graceful dark green, strongly indented basal, oblong leaves in outline, collected in a rosette. Peduncles few, bear umbrellas of white flowers.

Growing conditions. Sunny areas with rich, moderately moist soils.

reproduction. Seeds (sowing before winter), dividing the bush (in spring and late summer). Planting density – 9 pcs. per 1 m2.

Used in rockeries, borders of flower beds, in the foreground of mixborders.

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