Wildflowers on the Mountaintop

Arnica lessingii Many types of yellow flowers are found on mountain tops. I chose the nodding arnica – nodding its head compared to the upright ones we know.

Saxifraga bronchialis, subspecies funstonii This is Funston’s saxifrage. The name saxifrage indicating its rock breaking qualities, saxum - rock and frago - to break. Prickly saxifrage is very common on the hillsides and this alpine variety bears a resemblance to its more common cousin.

Gentiana glauca Not so common, but included here because of its amazing blue-green colour and rarity: a gentian. Glaucous gentians get no bigger than a pinky finger.

Dryas octopetala Mountain avens are hard to miss due to quantity; they cover whole slopes in early summer.

Oxytropis nigrescens The little blackish locoweed, blooms early in summer, and, later in the season, the long red pods – almost 3 cm – are a common find on the mountaintops here.

Myosotis asiatica And last but not least, the alpine forget-me-not.

Silene acaulis The brightest one of all: the moss campion – and it’s fragrant!