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News from the Alpine Garden

7^th September 2013

Aconitum anthora

Eryngium alpinum

Eryngium bourgatii

Kniphofia caulescens

Saxifraga diversifolia

Senecio macrospermus

18^th – 22^nd August 2013

Late summer flowering is perhaps not as showy as peak flowering in July but there are still many beauties to discover. Campanula cochlearifolia is the first alpine in flower the hiker can spot. Shortly after passing the Wettersteinalm, where the tree canopy thins the flowers decorate rocks and crevices all the way up to the Schachen. The flowers of the red hot poker, Kniphofia caulescens, create a contrast with the Eryngium alpinum flowers which are darkening to an ever deeper blue. The flowers of Jurinea dolomiaea are arranged in a compact stemless rosette in the middle of the leaves. The warm dry weather of July will have influenced this seldom seen plant to flower.

On the 10^th of September (2:30 p.m.) the Alpine Garden closes for the season but before then there is still time to hike up and admire the Gentians which flower in late summer, such as Gentiana ascaepiadea, G. pannonica and G. aspera which can be found on the Teufelsgesäss near the Garden. In the Alpine Garden Gentiana caschmerica, G. gelida, G. paradoxa and other late flowering Gentians are coming in to flower.

Allium macranthum

Campanula cochlearioides

Cyananthus lobatus

Epilobium angustifolium

Eryngium alpinum

Gentianella aspera

Jurinea dolomiaea

Sedum kamschaticum

3^rd – 7^th August 2013

August is the month when the Lesotho collection shines out. Even though the majority of visitors remain unaware of the importance of this collection of southern African plants, I think that their beauty impresses all of the visitors at this time of the season. After the heat of July the late summer bloomers are appearing with the Eryngium alpinum flowers turning blue and Gentian paradoxa in bud. The first Gentianella campestris flower was spotted in the 1^st week of August in the garden. The steady rain which fell on Friday, the 9^th of August, will bring relief to the stressed higher forbs and ease the way into late summer and autumn.

Cotula socialis

Delphinium beesianum

Diascia barberae

Geranium multisectum

Hieracium aurantiacum

Leontopodium alpinum

Meconopsis napaulensis-Hybride

Scuttellaria alpina

Senecio abrotanifolius

Stachys monieri

20^th – 25^th July 2013

The last 3 weeks have been particularly hot and dry. Even on the normally moist Schachen the gardeners have been watering. The main flowering season is as bountiful as ever with numerous Meconopsis napaulensis hybrids coming into flower as well as the stately Meconopsis paniculata. Lilium martagon is magnificent at the moment with some particularly good examples flowering in the Alpine Garden. The European Edelweiß (Leontopodium alpinum) is still in flower, while the Himalayan Edelweiß are just starting to bloom. Leontopodium calocephalum is particularly pretty specie in flower now.

Beat the heat and hike up to the Schachen early in the morning while it is still cool and spend the day relaxing on one of the benches in the shade of Pinus cembra in the Alpine Garden.

Arenaria purpurascens

Leontopodium alpinum

Leontopodium calocephalum

Lilium martagon

Meconopsis betonicifolia, Rhododendron hirsutum

Meconopsis napaulensis-Hybride

Meconopsis napaulensis-Hybride

Primula reidii

Primula secundiflora

Veratrum albidum

Blick nach Nordost

Blick nach Nordwest

Blick zur Zugspitzplatte

6^th – 11^th July 2013

Visitors to the Alpine Garden last week report populations of Platanthera chlorantha and Cephalanthera damasonium in full flower in the forest along the Kälbersteig to the Schachen. Neottia nidus-avis, a saprophitic Orchid can also be seen amongst the above mentioned Orchids. For those hikers who chose to walk up from the Wanderparkplatz near Schloss Elmau Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. fuchsii grows along the forestry road as far as the Wettersteinalm and is then replaced by Gymnadenia conopsaea up to the Schachen. Traunsteinera globosa and Nigritalla nigra can be spotted between the goods cable car (not for public transportation) of the Meiler Hut and the Schachenhaus. In the Alpine Garden Gymnadenia conopsaea, which has seeded freely throughout the garden, is in full flower. A small selection of other flower highlights follow this text. The Lilies were just opening on writing and this coming week we expect Lilium martagon, L. kesselringianum and L. jankae to be in full flower.

Alpine garden

Androsace lehmannii

Aquilegia aurea

Carex baldensis

Meconopsis lancifolia

Meconopsis quintuplinervia

Meconopsis simplicifolius

Meconopsis × cookei

Meconopsis × sheldonii

Megacarpaea polyandra

Papaver alpinum

Primula sikkimensis var. hopeana

27^th June 2013

The Alpine Garden opened today for the summer in the middle of the first heat wave with 32°C in Munich and a more comfortable 22°C on the Schachen. The yellow flowers of Meconopsis integrifolia make a welcome display near the entrance, with Meconopsis × sheldonii in bud nearby. The meadows surrounding the garden are carpeted with a grand display of Primula farinosa, Gentiana acaulis and G. clusii with small clumps of Gentiana verna between.

Alpine garden

Primula amuela

Townsendia rothrockii

Trollius dschungarica

Wulfenia carinthiaca

18^th June 2013

Adonis pyrenaica

Androsace laevigata

Caltha palustris

Iris ruthenica

Meconopsis integrifolia

Megacarpaea polyandra

Ranunculus seguieri