The European Alps

This collection includes plants from all the Central European mountains. Here you can find species from the Pyrenees in the west through the Alps, the High Tatras, The Carpathian Mountains and Balkan and Greece in the east. A specific Caucasus collection is under development close to this area.

The European Mountains have a rich flora which is well known to plants-people. The Alps have some species which grow in the Norwegian mountains as well, such as Pulsatilla vernalis and Gentiana purpurea. However, the alpine flora of Central Europe is much richer than the Norwegian alpine flora. Here we will sample some of the plants which grow in the Alp-collection.

Pasque-flowers (Pulsatilla) are much loved alpine plants. P. vernalis has been mentioned. (If you want to see this exquisite plant in flower you must visit the garden just after the snow disappears). Beautiful and impressive plants such as P. alpina with its large white flowers, and the yellow-floweredP. alpina ssp. apiifolia do very well in Tromsø. In the eastern European mountains one will find P. vulgaris and P. hallerii. Both grow and flower very well in the Worlds northernmost botanic garden.
The related Anemone narcissiflora is widespread in the Pyrenees and the Alps. They grow to impressive size and are very floriferous in Tromsø.

Another important genus, Primula, have about 24 species of truly alpine plants in the section Auriculastrum. With only three or four exceptions they do extremely well in Tromsø. Some of these have been planted in the Alp-collection also, but many more can be seen in the Primula-collection.

A number of Gentians can be found in the Alps and the other European mountains. Many of them have been mentioned under collection number 14, Gentians, but several have been planted in the Alp-collection also. Look for incredibly blue Gentiana verna and Gentiana acaulis, as well as some related species, early in the summer. Later in the summer stately G. lutea and G. purpurea can be enjoyed.
European Saxifrages are more extensively planted in the Saxifraga collection, but some are found here also. Look for S. paniculata and S. cotyledon, among others.

Among other plants in the Alp-collection, look for species of Soldanella flowering very early with their dainty little violet bells; a number of Dianthus species including D. pavonius, D. glacialis and D. haematocalyx. Several Campanula species grow well, including C. barbata, which is also found at a couple of locations in the south of Norway. Hutchinsia alpina brighten the path through the Alp-collection with its low mats covered with small white flowers. And then there is Iris, Potentilla, Veronica, Linaria and a large number of other alpine plants – too many to list here.

The Alp-collection is at its best from early June through July and into August.