New Zealand Alpine Flora

Toolie:  What gorgeous pictures of some gorgeous plants.  I have always wanted to grow Geum uniflorum - have tried several times with seed (not too easy to obtain) with no luck.  Can you give me some advice about growing them up here in Eastern Canada?  I have planted some Ranunculus lyallii in a tiny bog - it will get a lot of snow cover - and wonder if that will do the "trick".   

Frances Howey
London, Ontario, Canada
Zone 5b

Booker wrote:

Magnificent set of photographs once again, Dave ... oh that BEAUTIFUL Ranunculus buchananii ...  :D :D :D

Just about the perfect Ranunculi Cliff. ;)

Howey wrote:

Toolie:  What gorgeous pictures of some gorgeous plants.  I have always wanted to grow Geum uniflorum - have tried several times with seed (not too easy to obtain) with no luck.  Can you give me some advice about growing them up here in Eastern Canada?  I have planted some Ranunculus lyallii in a tiny bog - it will get a lot of snow cover - and wonder if that will do the "trick".   

Thanks Fran

Not sure what your overall climatic conditions are but would presume if you experience any summer draught that could be a problem .

Geum uniflorum has preference for shady moist banks ,although in the southern end of Fiordland where moisture is year round and totals over 6 metres p.a. it will also be found out in the open on depleted vegetative spots.I've noted my diary to collect a little seed for you soon which i'll send fresh.Will be in touch.

Ranunculus lyallii also has a liking moist areas--from streamsides to old established fellfield,(large rock rumble)---in areas not so wet ,they grow where the foliage is in shade and the flowering heads in the sun.

Cheers dave.

Hoy wrote:

But am I right when I believe new Zealand has few red and blue flowered plants? Think I once read something about that.

Sorry Trond
I just realised i haven't replied to your earlier question.

NZ alpine flowers are mostly whites and yellows, with a few blues and one or two reds like Raoulia buchananii.

I'm not sure of the reasons why ,although as i have discovered over the years ,(especially when i have been in close taking macro shots),there are many genera that are scented ---ranging from Brachyglottis,Myosotis,Leptinella and Aciphylla ,(to name just a few off the top of my head),so maybe scent is of more importance ....?

Cheers dave.

Spent today showing 8 Danish folk a few 'weeds'  ;D   down at sea level --while i expected that most plants would be past flowering I knew Gentianella saxosa would be just starting.

Their preferred habitat is in gravel a meter or two above the high tide mark exposed to the elements of full sun, near constant wind and the effects of salt spray.

Being a relatively calm,sunny day there was quite a bit of insect activity which i managed to capture by changing over cameras.

I initially had limited success with this sps in the garden here. However planting out in an experimental sand crevice garden has seen it's stay more permanent and while it seeds around, is never a pest, unfortunately in our shady conditions they never achieve the tight clumps as in nature.

Cheers Dave.  
 

The NZAGS had its annual field trip a weekend back. A few images from the mountains of South Canterbury.

Celmisia angustifolia comes in green and silver leaved forms.

Wahlenbergia albomarginata is often seen as a running growth --this pic is of a nice clumping plant.

A small Anisotome sps in fellfield--- possibly a male form of A. flexuosa.

[attachthumb =3]

Anisotome flexuosa --female.

On fine scree Epilobium pycnostachyum.

The wind was so strong even the locals were grounded.

Not sure on why my pics are showing at the full size rather than thumbnails. :-\  (fixed: MMcD :D)

Anyway i'll continue.

Aciphylla montana --female.

A couple shots of Gentianella corymbifera ---plants can be quite variable in height up to 60cm--these ones were very dwarf.

Haastia sinclarii close up showing the wonderful tomentum.

Around rocks hugging the mineral Raoulia eximia .

Hebe haastii.

Lastly -- a couple of unknown Epilobiums .

Cheers Dave

Lovely images Dave.  You mention that your images are not thumbnails.  Mark McDonough has written a great FAQ on images in the board 'Announcements from Moderators and Administrators' on this page http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?topic=553.0.  The syntax to create thumbnails is very similar to what you're doing currently.  Thanks so much for providing your excellent posts to this forum!

Fabulous plants and scenery, Dave.  That rocky and rugged area has the feeling of the alpine areas here, but the plants are unimaginably exotic.  Many thanks for posting!

By the way, your photos will attach as enlargeable thumbnails if you use the syntax "attachthumb=#", rather than "attachment=#".

Thanks all.

I was out again locally in Fiordland last weekend .Still a lot of colour including a number of sps just starting to bloom.

Will post in a day or two when time allows.

Cheers Dave.   

Link to my latest field trip.

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=7434.msg204646#new

Cheers Dave

I was behind on this thread--always amazing stuff! the bright Aciphylla montana in a sea of silver rock and silver plants is wonderful! Worth emulating in the garden....
The Haastia is also fantastic! As Lori mentioned, its all so exotic for us!

Hi Dave:  Just received my allotment of seeds from New Zealand Alpine Garden Society (Christchurch).  Nice to know that, in spite of the quake and aftershocks (still going on I hear), they are still operating.  Am chafing at the bit to  start some of the seeds - I know the Ranunculus should be planted right away but wonder if there are others that I can "get away" with planting now up here in London, Ontario.  Don't have any asteraceae seeds but was delighted  get some special ones this time including Ranunculus lyallii, Nothothlaspi rosulatum, Pentacondra pumila and Calceolaria uniflora (S. America) and a couple of NZ clematis.  Haven't had success with these in the past.  Fran

Frances Howey
London, Ontario, Canada
Zone 5b

Howey wrote:

Hi Dave:  Just received my allotment of seeds from New Zealand Alpine Garden Society (Christchurch).  Nice to know that, in spite of the quake and aftershocks (still going on I hear), they are still operating.  Am chafing at the bit to  start some of the seeds - I know the Ranunculus should be planted right away but wonder if there are others that I can "get away" with planting now up here in London, Ontario.  Don't have any asteraceae seeds but was delighted  get some special ones this time including Ranunculus lyallii, Nothothlaspi rosulatum, Pentacondra pumila and Calceolaria uniflora (S. America) and a couple of NZ clematis.  Haven't had success with these in the past.  Fran

Frances Howey
London, Ontario, Canada
Zone 5b

Hello Fran

Sorry for the delay in replying  --I've just seen your posting :-[

Best of luck with the seed ,some of which i have never tried --Ranunculus lyalli in my experience will germinate in greater numbers the second spring after sowing .
Never been successful with Nothothlaspi rosulatum.

Here's a pic of a native Clematis currently in bloom outside our dinning room --about 2 metres in height,lovely citrus like scent.

Cheers Dave.

Kopuwai Conservation Area --Part 1 of 4  :rolleyes:

Last weekend I took the opportunity to travel a couple of hours inland and visit the Old Man Range in the province of Central Otago.

I initially visited the southern slopes of tussock grasslands at about 1300mtrs where in wet areas large numbers of Ranunculus gracilipes were in bloom, the most prolific flowering being on slightly raised hummocks.

One or two cushions of Phyllachne rubra were thereabouts as well as Psychrophila obtusa , and on the edge of the 4 wheel drive track Celmisia haastii var haastii which unfortunately was the only Celmisia sps I saw flowering. (Seems this season a number of genera/sps are having a year off ….).  :'(

However even when not in colour Celmisia semicordata ssp aurigans is a magnificent plant –a cousin to the silver leaf growth C.semicordata ssp stricta which I have shown pics of previously, this one has a wonderful golden hue to its foliage .Has a liking to cool part shady spots .

Part 2 (Rest to come tomorrow....)

I crested the ridge at about 1600 mtrs and rode along the plateau for 30 ks stopping at various spots to botanise not far from the motorbike as I had forgotten to bring the chain and padlock .Duh !.

Considered as one of the foremost places in NZ for alpine cushions, the schist rock tors are a feature as well.
The prominent vegetation here is Dracophyllum muscoides which seems to revel in the exposed windswept conditions .

In between the cushions ,Ourisia glandulosa , orange berries of Coprosma perpusiila and a large flowered form of Ranunculus enysii .

Oh! I have only just found this thread from the beginning and what wonderful photographs and scenery - especially the umbellifers (!) and maybe even a ranunculus or two! I was brought up on Philipson and Hearn's book and have always longed to see the alpines of New Zealand. Some occur in Tasmania, which I have visited, but the landscape is so completely different. Alan Furness in Northumberland grows many of them beautifully but they are not really for us down in the south. Many thanks again.

Pleased you are enjoying the postings John and Tim.
Philipson and Hearns publication is a beauty --although somewhat surpassed in terms of plant names i often pick it up ,(again), during the winter as it is such a good read.

On the edge of moist areas ,orange coloured growths of Hebe sps.

In the cushion fields .....
Raoulia hectorii var mollis, Chionohebe densiflora, woolly Craspedia lanata , Chionohebe thomsonii and Abrotanella inconspicua .

Near rocky bluffs Aciphylla simplex and ground hugging Ranunculus pachyrrhizus close to snow melt.

I wasn’t alone---,( Mr),  :) Kea decided to investigate my pack – very sociable ,intelligent and inquisitive birds I kept a close eye on him,(or her), as they are infamous for opening zips and emptying contents .I managed to get within a couple of feet  before it was distracted by another bird flying above us.(Look how he has his head bent to view the competition).

Finally ,the climax !!    :o--on exposed sites, numerous plants of the stunning, grey silky haired Myosotis pulvinaris so well blended into the surrounding rock that I almost stepped over them.

Cheers Dave.

Thanks Cliff and Hoy.

Doreen wrote:

Wow, Dave, your pics are super, thanks for posting the pictures, especially the Myosotis pulvinaris, it's magnificent. First saw it in flower across in the Dunstan Mts a couple of years ago when I was out with John Douglas from Alexandra, going up to the M. albosericea site. Have you ever got any seed of pulvinaris and tried it in the garden?

Are there REALLY so many lowlife riff-raff up there on the ridge that you need to padlock and chain your bike (it doesn't look that busy from your pics?)  ;)

Nope i haven't tried the Myosotis myself or collected seed Doreen....I understand it or variants grow well in the northern hemisphere --in fact i saw a really nice healthy specimen in Davie Sharps alpine house while we were in Scotland last year.

The bike isn't registered,warrented or insured so I'm always keen to make sure it doesn't go missing ;).--I even have it chained to the truck body when travelling..........

Technically i guess I'm braking the law because some of the 4 wheel roads i travel on are classed as public roads---aw well-- i like living on the edge ! :rolleyes:

Cheers Dave.

I haven't been out in the 'hills' for a few weeks however i plan to remedy that this long weekend ---(Monday is a public holiday---'Waitangi Day commemorates a significant day in the history of New Zealand. It is a public holiday held each year on 6 February to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document, on that date in 1840.')

In the meantime here are a few shots i took a week or two ago while visiting a botanical garden of one of the native Metsiderosis sps flowering.

Cheers Dave.

Hoy wrote:

Looks much better than the grey, naked birches here ;)

Here's a few pics to cheer up your day Hoy. Wink

Part 1 of 5   :rolleyes:

Spent Monday of last week and then yesterday in the mountains of Northern Southland.After the last two magnificent blooming years a number of genera are having a 'rest'.  :'(

My first visit was to West Dome ,a peak reaching about 1200 mtrs in height .

On the lower access 4 wheeled vehicular road ,an Acaena hybrid between A. novae Zelandiae and some other local species, possibly A. inermis.

I was able to ride up to the edge of an area which a few of us call the 'Moonscape' ,an area of ultrabasic rock seemingly devoid of any vegetation.I hesitate to use the word "ride" as the climb was via a very rough mountain goat sort of track and i came off the bike 3 times going up and once decending  :o (However that's another story perhaps..).

Plants do survive in this exposed spot including a nice yellow/green coloured form of Gentianella bellidifolia,(i was just a little early for flowering ).At first glance i thought it was a small seedling of Aciphylla aurea.

A Myosotis sps which i think is still unnamed --it has a number of unofficial titles such as M.sps 'Dome' or M.sps 'Mossburn' after the area in which it is found .In any case its very hairy foliage can range from green to grey.

Also there a prostrate creeping Kelleria sps ,and flowering,silver growths of Raoulia hookerii and one of the 'woolly heads' ,Craspedia uniflora .

Rest to follow when time allows.

Cheers Dave

Part 2.

Celmisia spedenii is endemic to this area .Although I found a small plant in flower you would grow it for the foliage alone. :-*.No yellow flowers this time around !. ;D

The new growths of Hebe lycopodioides give it an orange tinge .
( oops --Edit -- This should be H. hectorii ssp demissa).

Almost appearing suspended above moss the heads of Brachyglottis bellidioides --while it's just a little yellow daisy, the best leafed forms are highly desirable.    

One of the harebells .Wahlenbergia albomarginata is wide spread, here growing in amongst one of the smaller snow tussocks.

In wet depressions, Celmisia glandulosa and also in moister spots but in more depleted spots a nicely coloured Euphrasia sps , maybe E. integrifolia  :-\ .(I didn't have a hand lens available and was running out of time to switch over to a macro lense to try and aid the ID) .

Celmisia densiflora , one of the sticky leaf sps is a reliable bloomer and didn't disappoint as a number were showing colour -- makes impressive loose patches.

Final pics from West Dome.

A creeping snowberry ,Gaultheria depressa var novae zelandiae with Celmisa densiflora in the background.

Around these rocks on shaded crevices ,unexpectantly i found the South Island edelweiss, Leucogenes grandiceps.

Cheers Dave .

Rightio yesterdays adventure was to the Te Anau basin where a well groomed road leds up onto Mt Prospect a low ridge at about 900 mtrs.

It's an interesting area in that the northern slopes are covered with beech forest while the southern end is tussock grassland.

Along the road large mats of Raoulia glabra were flowering.Has quite a wide distribution as it is found near the coast not far from where i reside.

Also in close proximity a couple of bidibidis, the diminative Acaena inermis and A.caesiiglauca.

On over hangs the colourful Lycopodium fastigiatum.

In amongst the snow grass and wiry growths of a Coprosma sps, Gentianella montana with its very dark red underleaf and in this case 3 prominent veins.    

Just about getting there  ;D.(the end that is !).

A number of pics of the fabulous forms of Celmisia traversii  :P :P--another mountain daisy you would be tempted to grow for the foliage alone.

View from summit over the forested northern slopes.

Another plant from the road side that benefits from the lack of competition.Geranium sessiliflorum.

Very similar to Raoulia glabra i showed earlier is Raoulia subsericea --from which it differs by having tighter mats,(although my pics doesn't show that in this instance ), and silver blunt tips.   

Last posting --I need a break  ;D ;D

At the summit i worked my through the tussocks and shrubs and onto the edge of the beech trees.

Here i found in sphagnum moss, enjoying the cool shady moist position, numerous plants of another eyebright ,Euphrasia zelandica and an Orchid ,(I've a query away to a local expert for a name).

Finally a view out across the basin towards the imposing peaks of Fiordland.

Cheers Dave.

EDIT--- Orchid has been ID'd as Chiloglottis cornuta 

Wow, it's fantastic to see the sights of New Zealand!  Thanks for posting, Dave!
The Meterosideros is amazing... it boggles the mind to see massive trees with such floral displays.
Your photos give us an excellent peek into the alpine environment of New Zealand.  So many exotic forms!
I love the first very colourful Acaena and Raoulia subsericea, especially.

So many great things! I especially love the Celmisia spedenii and traversii! Such unexpected foliage for 'daisies'!
The first Celmisia and the Brachyglottis also show fantastic 'staging' rising out of plants that set them off so brilliantly- well worth attempted emulation...

Thanks everyone.
Glad you are all enjoying the 'trip'.

Sorry to disappoint you Rick  ;)
You are correct,the hairy plant is an introduced Hieracum sps classed as a noxious weed because it has spread all over the place...........

As to your query regarding pistils ---i don't think so --Here's a cropped pic of the minute flowers and the white coloured hooks on the end of each spine.

Cohan
I'm mindful i might have shown pics of some sps previously so I'm always keeping an eye out for 'staging' . :)

Hoy
NZ is primarily a farming country so large areas of the lower 'hill' country are cleared.
Interestingly I'm a member of our local landcare group ,which recently as part of a community work day ,planted out over 5500 small native plants to help bridge the gap between two remanent forest blocks ..I'll never live to see the result however it's heartening to think I might be making a difference.

Cheers Dave.

Nice work as always Dave . Impressed you made it up the track . Wish I'd been there

RickR wrote:

What is that ubiquitous hairy plant I see in so many of the pics, that reminds me of Hieracium villosum/lanatum? I am expecting it to be yet again something I've never heard of...  See it here, for instance:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=374.0;attach=28107;...

Hieracium pilosella Rick and have attached a picture taken up the road a bit in November last year

Jandals wrote:

Nice work as always Dave . Impressed you made it up the track . Wish I'd been there

Wish you had been there as well Steve --between us we might have been able to sort out a couple of plant IDs.

Jandals wrote:

Hieracium pilosella Rick and have attached a picture taken up the road a bit in November last year

I remember your eyes lighting up at the thought of harvesting another wild weed sps --it's  just waiting for you to pick mate, when you have finished the 900 odd clean sacks of Sedum of course.... ;)  ;D

Cheers Dave.

Way back in August 2010 when i started this thread i mentioned our bush property backed onto a larger reserve.
As the weather wasn't suitable for botanising in the 'hills' this weekend i walked around the public track that winds through the reserve.