Highlights 2021 from the Botanic garden

*Highlights* 2021-8, September 29 →    in

Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden

Do not miss:

1. The Ulleungdo rowan (Sorbus ulleungensis). It has its strange name from the small volcanic island east of the Korean Peninsula, where it has its only occurrences in the wild. It is hardy here, thanks to cold Siberian winter air. Near our Primula waterfall with the most beautiful autumn colours now.

2. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) with intensely dark red leaves now. Just across from the Primula collection, where several interesting species have their second flowering now, see Primula amoena on the northern ridge near the road.

3. Other rowan species with nice autumn colours. These are particularly in the Himalaya collection, and include the world’s smallest rowan, Sorbus poteriifolia, in the lower northern part.

4. A very strange plant close to the latter. It looks like a dark, pink starfish, but is from 3500 m in China. It came as Saussurea stella, however, the latter dies after flowering, whereas our plant has much more narrow leaves and a mat of perennial rosettes. It may be a still undescribed species, as it is not treated by recent specialist literature.

5. The gentian collection. Flowers from the G. sino-ornata group are now replacing species of the G. septemfida group. The intensely blue flowers will be here until November.

6. The annual, citric yellow Mexican slipper plant Calceolaria mexicana. In the lowermost part of our South America.

7. An undescribed Chinese Allium species in our Bulb & Corm collection, just south of the largest Kashmere rowan.

Text and photo: Arve Elvebakk, The Arctic University Museum of Norway.

 Follow the last weeks’ Facebook videos posted by Martin Hajman: facebook.com/tromso.arktisk.alpine.botaniske.hage/videos

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