Flowers of the Caucasian mountains. Alpine flowers: vasily_sergeev — LiveJournal
Where there is almost no land for plants to live comfortably, there are many charming flowers. The wild gifts of the mountains are unique and enchanting - mountain flowers! They bloom even in extreme climates, high in the mountains.
Features of these plants
Nothing prevents them, they bloom, despite the presence of extreme conditions:
- low temperatures, often here;
- strong winds blowing on bare rocks;
- a lot of seasonal rainfall;
- thick covers of snow;
- lack of soil cover.
Plants have long been admired by people: wild mountain, forest, field. Snow cover the mountains tightly. This is protection from harsh winters. This happens until the sun's rays help the snow melt.
The name of mountain flowers is not known to everyone. For example, stonecrop with fleshy leaves. It is a flower resistant to harsh winter and summer lack of water. Some of the mountain flowers do not wait for spring, they begin to wake up along with the melting snows. This is how tiny soldanella grows. Her spike-shaped inflorescence grows alone. The plant is small, has purple-pink flowers. It grows in contrast to the austere surroundings. Almost at the same time, insects appear that pollinate mountain flowers. The snow is slowly disappearing, the leaves of the plant are gradually coming out. At this time, the flower sets seeds, forms leaves, but for the next year.
The most common mountain flowers
Saxifrage - the destroyer of rocks. It can grow directly from a monolithic rock. Forms rosettes or pillows, standing out of intertwined leaves. Of these, flowers grow, located on spike-shaped inflorescences. They are very long, even hanging down. The roots of saxifrage grow in the form of branches. Their small weight serves as an anchor, they penetrate deep into the crevices of the mountains in search of water. They are so adapted to live on bare rocks that they simply do not grow in other places.
The saxifrages are protected from animals by rocks. Herbivores just can't get to them. Plants are popular, can grow even at home. True, they are not so saturated and spreading indoors, with thin shoots. Gardeners have not bypassed them either, they are used for different compositions when arranging. Plants are freely cultivated, do not require much care.
Flowers of mountain ledges
Various herbs and ferns grow in these places. On the narrow ledges of rocks one can meet annual and frost-resistant mosses. They do not require a lot of soil and nutrients. They grow and multiply, protected from the animal world of the mountains. After a while, some plants with flowers are replaced by others.
But spring comes, the rocky ledges begin to be covered with a multitude. As they grow, organic matter is formed - humus. It is very dense, under the influence of rains it can compact, then collapse to the foot of the cliff. This is where flowers survive and grow. The foot of the rocks is covered with annual mountain flowers, frost-resistant and multi-colored.
edelweiss mountain dweller
A rare mountain flower called edelweiss is a sign of fidelity, love. He is very unusual. The Italians say that this is a silver flower. For the inhabitants of France, this is the star of the Alps. Like all mountain flowers, he loves the sun's rays. It grows in the snow, at the very edge of high mountains.
Not every person can see it, let alone rip it off. This is a rare plant, only those who have love in their hearts can find it. How skillful you have to be to reach him, and how strong. But the one who loves unforgettably will achieve his goal. But he must also be adored. Only mountains do not lend themselves to every person, especially their top.
Since ancient times, many would like to get edelweiss. Moreover, there were many of them, but the plant remained inaccessible. This led to his complete disappearance. Already in the 19th century, it was noted that the flower is becoming rarer and rarer. It was believed that only a few dozen copies remained. Edelweiss came to complete extinction. Now this flower is growing, but you can meet it only occasionally. Breaking it is strictly prohibited. To preserve rare plants that may never appear on earth if their last species disappears, people have provided for measures, for example, fines.
Flowers of the Canary Islands
There is Mount Teide, which is strewn with many flowers. Many of them are not found anywhere else in the world. These are local mountain flowers.
For example, the bruise of Echium wildprettii. It is quite large, when growing up it throws out long inflorescences in the form of spikelets. They have tiny petals that attract insects for pollination.
Chinese mouseflower
There is an unpleasant flower, although it is created by nature. We have become accustomed to the fact that nature almost always creates beautiful, extraordinary things. If you look at it closely, then it looks like a bat, but only with closed petals. Its ornate tentacles reach almost 40 cm, they look like snakes with black color to people. At the sight of him, a person is horrified, disgusted. Because of this, it is rarely grown even by brave flower growers. The appearance of the plant does not please anyone.
Such different mountain flowers. Names, their features can be seen in numerous photos. These plants are colorful and charming.
There are unusual plants that live 150 years and only at the end of their lives give amazingly beautiful flowers. How can representatives of the terrestrial flora surprise?
rare flowers
Edelweiss is the flower of fidelity and love. Its name alone sounds like music. The most touching and gentle, about which there are many legends. The Italians call it the silver flower of the rocks. The French are an Alpine star.The flower loves the sun, but grows high in the mountains near the snowy edge. It is not given to everyone to see it. The legend says that only a person in whose heart love is pure as dew can find this mysterious flower. It is not enough to be agile and strong in order to climb to the top of the mountain. We must love sincerely and wholeheartedly, be devoted to our beloved.
There were so many people who wanted to get the flower that already in the 19th century it was almost impossible to see it. There were a couple of dozen copies left, which were on the verge of extinction.
In Switzerland, where this flower grew, a special law was issued that prohibited the collection of this plant. Violators faced hefty fines. At the mountain borders, there are special posts that do not allow tourists to the habitats of this flower.
The Chinese mouseflower is the most creepy and disgusting flower that Mother Nature could create. Even from a close distance, when its petals are closed, it resembles a bat that perched on a branch for the night. To give it an even creepier look, it has long, ornate tentacles 30-40 cm long that resemble black snakes. The first impression of those who saw it is horror.
It is grown only by extreme flower growers, since not only the appearance, but also touching it causes a feeling of disgust in most people.
Middlemist red is the rarest flower in the world. There are only 2 copies on the entire globe. British gardener John Middlemist, traveling in China in 1854, was fascinated by a scarlet rose, which he accidentally discovered. He dug up the flower and brought it to Britain to plant in the United Kingdom's greenhouse. He could not even imagine that thanks to this he saved the last copy of the flower in the world. This scarlet rose was named after him.
Our world is extraordinarily rich in various types of plants, flowers of incredible beauty and mighty centuries-old trees, which are taken under protection all over the world. It depends only on the person that there are as few pages as possible in the Red Book.
rare tree species
The Methuselah pine is the oldest tree in the world. Its age exceeds 4850 years. And she received the name in honor of the biblical character, who was the only long-liver in the whole world. 
This majestic tree grows in the USA, in the White Mountains at an altitude of 3000 meters. Its exact location is known only to botanists who monitor the pine. Such secrecy is connected with the fact that to protect this guard from vandalism. After all, there are thousands of tourists who want to take a picture with him or tear off a piece of the bark as a keepsake. Many go to the mountains to find this mysterious tree, but all their attempts end in failure. The Methuselah pine is not a tree, it is a symbol of eternity, which looks like a dead one, but life is hidden in each of its branches.
The tree of life is the loneliest tree in the world. Probably, like life itself, reminiscent of loneliness among a crowd of people. It is the only one on the sands of the endless desert of Bahrain, a hundred kilometers from any vegetation.
He is 400 years old, but the most important thing is not his age or the fact that this is a rare specimen of trees. Scientists are wondering how it is possible to live for so many years in the desert, in the land of which there is absolutely no water, while “radiating” vital energy.
If you “transfer” from far corners of the world to our region, with the greenery of meadows and the noise of birch groves, you can discover amazing and rare plants that are on the verge of extinction.
Interesting plants from the Russian Red Book
The Japanese beard is a beautiful and graceful plant with a large pinkish flower, which is popularly called the Spirit of the Meadows. It got its name because of the petals, which, bending at the bottom of the flower, resemble a gnome's beard.The beard is a miniature orchid. So soft, graceful and beautiful. The flower can grow alone, modestly "peeping out" from the arrows of the green meadow grasses. But most often the plant forms scatterings of flowers, where there can be up to 60 of them per 1 square meter. The plant is listed in the Red Book and is protected by law.
Rhododendron Fori is a plant with large pink flowers. On one brush can grow up to 15 delicate, with slightly wrapped flower petals. It is called the flower of the gods. Its beauty is compared with the Greek goddesses - graceful, slender, tender. You can admire its beauty endlessly, but only the lucky one can see it.
The legend says that this flower was presented to a man by the Gods, who wanted to win the heart of his beloved. The flower was as beautiful as the girl for whom it was intended. When her betrothed took her to distant lands, rhododendrons bloomed in the fields so that people would remember not only her beauty, but also believe that there is unearthly love in the world.
It can be said about this plant that seeing it is to know the being of life. Understand that life and death are far apart, but at the same time as inseparable as two sisters.
The rarest plant in the world
Puya raimondi is a plant that lives 150 years to gain vitality and die. To die forever, giving the world the unearthly beauty of your flowers. 
Growing from a round and huge ball, the plant reaches a height of up to 10 meters. A powerful trunk resembling a tree develops from a thin stem. But the huge "cone", prickly in appearance, resembles a huge flower, which slowly grows in height for 100 years. Having lived for 150 years and gained vital energy, it gives the world a scattering of a thousand flowers and dies. Dies forever.
This plant is truly beautiful, but there are other amazing representatives of the flora. .
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The smallest of these dwarfs are gentians (Gentiana), but due to the brightness of the flowers, they attract attention more than large flowers. Blue gentians as if they concentrated in themselves the blueness of the midday sky of the highlands,
and dark blue - the blue of the night sky.
A bit higher gentian, but almost the same bright colors - bluebells (Campanula). True, in addition to blue and blue, they are also pale yellow, almost white, like light clouds at sunset.
The whole gamut of pink, lilac, purple flowers was taken primrose(Primula). There are a lot of types of them, some of them do not exceed the size gentians. There are among primrose and species with yellow flowers of different shades. And for all this variety of colors, the list of which could be increased many times over, the name seems to be the most correct. "carpet".
And around these lawns monotonously green alpine meadows of the highlands, kobrezivnye, sedge or cereal, they are all equally low and inconspicuous. Where it is warmer in the highlands, and they themselves are lower, as, for example, in Transcaucasia, and there is more snow in general, all highland meadows become bright and beautiful. In places of snow blows, in which avalanches can also form, forests develop from small birches, aspens, mountain ash. Picturesque carpets of Alpine dwarfs are the most loved in "retinue of white death", and she pulls them down with her, in the belt of subalpine tall grasses and even lower in the forest belt. And if on a hot summer day, walking along the bottom of a mountain valley among the calmly noisy old forests, you suddenly come out into a clearing full of gentians And primroses- look for a nearby snowfield left by an avalanche. And remember that it is dangerous to pass in this place in winter - avalanches are possible.
Avalanches, of course, are a terrible ruthless enemy of people, forests, and engineering structures. However, it is thanks to avalanche activity that magnificent tall grasses grow in places of avalanches. Avalanches do not interfere with the development of herbage. On the contrary, at the height of summer they sing water from melting glaciers and meadows, and trees that have time to grow in the interval between avalanches.
Alpine meadows are confined mainly to flat areas, to the shoulders of the troughs, i.e. to places on the slopes lined with ancient glaciers. The basis of the avalanche suite is tall grass meadows, birch crooked forests, all kinds of dwarfs, usually confined to the steep slopes of the highlands. They stand out in a special subalpine belt. This belt is a true decoration of the mountains, which in Baksan valley presented
Caucasian rhododendron (Rhododendron caucasicum Pall.), endemic plant Caucasus, whose Latin name means "rose tree", brushes of its snow-white flowers, delighting tourists all summer, acquire a yellowish-cream hue in places,
in West Cheget have soft pink petals, and in upper reaches of the Chegem- orange-pink. In the lower part of the slopes, they bloom at the beginning of summer, and near the snowfields - at the end. Therefore, visitors are sure to admire these flowers for several months. Overwinter rhododendrons under the cover of snow. If the snowiness of winters decreases, the upper shoots rhododendrons that are not covered with snow freeze. Sometimes whole groups of these elfin, which reliably indicates that the snow cover has decreased in this place. However, in recent decades, on the contrary, rhododendrons in the highlands they grow beautifully, moving higher and higher. But at the same time, weather stations do not register an increase in winter precipitation. What is going on here? Strengthening winds, especially unusually strong ones, leads to a redistribution of snow masses in the highlands. There is more snow in the hollows, it can reliably cover the young ones that appear here. rhododendrons. Since this situation is repeated for more than one year, the shrubs grow and occupy the entire hollow. It is possible that the increase in winter winds and the redistribution of snow in the highlands, more powerful than a century or two before, led to a series of unusually powerful avalanches that destroyed forests in the valley more than two hundred years old.
Avalanches usually end their movement on avalanche cones that formed over many, many millennia, throughout the Holocene, i.e. the entire period since the last glaciation. And it is on these cones that magnificent meadows develop. The height of the herbage here is from a meter to two. A rider on a horse can hide in such grassy thickets. Botanists once argued whether these meadows are primary or secondary. They could grow on their own, if not for grazing. Cattle in such meadows, indeed, are present almost all summer. But if there were no cattle, these meadows would exist due to the activity of avalanches. Undergrowth of trees from birch, aspen, mountain ash always present among herbs. But avalanches do not give these shoots to grow, form forests.
Every citizen, finding himself on subalpine meadow, feels like in an abandoned flower garden, where a skilled florist, having planted beautiful plants, suddenly disappeared, and the flowers,
left to themselves, grew into impenetrable jungle, as if in a fairy tale about a sleeping princess. High blue wrestlers (Aconite nasutum Fisch. ex Reichenb.,Aconite pubiceps (Rupr.) Trautv.,
Aconite cymbulatum (Schmalh) Lipsky) alternate
from Eastern wrestler with pale yellow flowers (Aconite oriental Mill.).
They are being crowded hogweed giants, bred also often in parks among lawns of low grasses. Latin name cow parsnip - Heracleum (Heraclium) reminds us about Hercules after which these plants are named.
They do not want to concede in height and bells, whose height exceeds one meter broadleaf bell (Campanula latifolia L.).
And sometimes the entire space of the avalanche cone captures Alpine buckwheat (Polygonum alpinum All.), tall plant with lush fragrant white inflorescences. When it blooms, it seems from a distance that for some reason this white cloud is in no hurry to leave the slope.
Above the hotel "Itkol" large avalanches do not form on the slope, but in places where snow accumulates in winter, glades bloom beautifully in summer anemone tufted (Anemone fasciculata L.).
But the most remarkable plant of these places in the valley are tall lilies. They are represented here as lily monofraternal (Lilium monadelphum Bieb.). Large lemon-yellow, like wax, flowers of this lily are collected in a pyramidal brush with 5-30 flowers, and are in no way inferior to garden forms. And although their aroma is pleasant, it is so strong that you can’t keep bouquets of these lilies in the room - your head starts to hurt a lot.
Pleasant smell and bathing suits (Trollius ranunculinus (Srnith) Stearn), which is no different from the aroma of her relative, whose yellow flowers delight the eye in the forests Europe. But in the Caucasian kupavka, the petals are open and have a more intense yellow color.
Of plants with a long pedigree, which botanists call "relics" of warm tertiary flora, on avalanche slopes, along with rhododendron, often found daphne crowded
or wolfberry crowded (Daphne glemerata Lam.) with inflorescences of pale yellow, almost white flowers.
less common wolfberry (Daphne mezereum L.). You can pay attention to it only in spring, when its fragrant, intensely lilac inflorescences, appearing on the stems before the leaves bloom, are visible from afar among the still ungreen forest.
Huge variety on avalanche plant cones from the legume family (Lotus, Oxytropis, Medicago, Melilotus, Hedysarum, etc.). It is impossible to enumerate them. Suffice it to say that one peas (Vicia) there are several species with yellow, lilac, white flowers.
Nearly ubiquitous bright yellow lozenge (Lotus caucasicus Rupr.),
sunflower (Helianthemum ovatum (Viv.) Dun.), common and in alpine meadows.
Variety and types clovers (Trifolium) with purple, pink and yellow heads of inflorescences.
Plants are transported by avalanches alpine belt down to the avalanche stops, and therefore it is not uncommon to see bright blue and bluegentians(Gentiana), which have already been mentioned above.
BUT kopeck caucasian (Hedysarum caucasicum Bieb.) with inflorescences of lilac flowers and fruits-pods, as if divided into pennies, for which he got his name, it is found in places where avalanches are just forming, in the alpine, and where they stop.
Also confined to avalanche habitats macrotomy(Macrotomia echioides (L.) Boiss.),
which cannot be confused with any other plant, as neat black-lilac dots-specks blacken on its bright yellow flowers, like freckles.
I bring to your attention amazing photographs of the Caucasus Mountains and its environs from the eyes of an eyewitness and a person who conquered these peaks. Moreover, he has a special passion for climbing and overcoming himself. Behind difficult achievements, Mikhail Golubev was able to tell about the beauty of mountain peaks and dangerous glaciers, about flowering foothills and indescribable rainbows, about fogs and clouds, about mountain lakes and rivers, seething waterfalls and streams. About the animal world and unusually touching flowers that grow at heights and valleys. All photographs are from different periods and years. Moreover, the author made wonderful panoramic shots and was able to convey his attitude and love for the mountains. Photos and descriptions for them, the author himself.
Elbrus and rhododendrons.
Summer day in the Elbrus region.
In the mountains of the Caucasus, the first half of July, the height is about 3300 m. At this time, at this height, summer is still unstable and snowfalls can pass. In the photo - a flower that has melted in the warm sun.
Bluebells in the area of the Kogutai glacier in the Elbrus region.
August 2004.
Dombay
Bezengi peaks in the distance. Central Caucasus.
In the mountains of Ossetia
In the distance is the peak of Big Kogutai, view from the north. Elbrus region, summer 2006.
In the heart of the Caucasus mountains.
mountain river
Stream in the left pocket of the moraine of the Terskol glacier. Elbrus region, July 2005.
Mountain hike 2 class along Gvandra-Uzunkol (KChR, Caucasus) in July-August 2007
An extensive meadow in the upper reaches of the Burnaya River. To the left is the Dorbun pass, to the right are the passes of Poachers and Vorontsova-Velyaminov, to which we are going.
Mountain hike 3 class according to Zap. Caucasus in July 2012
Lake Rynji
Zaramag glacier in the distance, North Ossetia, August 2011.
Journey through the mountains of Svaneti (Georgia) in the summer of 2012. Going down the Gulichala valley, we constantly looked back to admire the formidable, majestically two-horned beauty peak of Ushba (4710 m).
Yellow violets. Mountains of the Caucasus, height about 3300 m.
Mountain hike 3 class according to Zap. Caucasus in July 2012. In the distance - Sulakhat peak from the west.
Flower Elbrus
Elbrus region, summer 2006.
View from under the top of Kogutai to Elbrus.
Mountain hike 3 class according to Zap. Caucasus (KCHR) in the Aksaut-Dombay region in July 2012
In the upper reaches of the Kuban.
Dzhan-Tugan peak (about 4000 m) in the upper reaches of the Adylsu valley in the Elbrus region. July 2005
Ullu-Muruju river. Hike 2 k.s. along Teberde-Gvandre-Uzunkol (KCHR, Caucasus) in July 2007
In the Mursala valley in the KChR, May 2012.
The peaks of Dzhangitau and Katyntau (both above 5000 m) in the great Bezengi wall. Below is the largest glacier in the Caucasus - Bezengi. The height difference from the glacier to the peaks is more than 2 km: four Ostankino towers. If you were standing at the base of the Ostankino tower and looking at its top, quadruple the sensation and add huge glaciers for more goosebumps!
Taken from the summit of the 50th anniversary of the KBASR (4000 m) with an approximation.
Central Caucasus, August 2005.
Nahar River
In the valley of the Kurmychi River in the Elbrus region. July 2005
Flowers by a stream in the Mursala Valley, May 2012.
It is worth noting that not only rhododendron, but also many other plants have healing powers and, due to their limited range, are listed in the Red Book. Moreover, poisonous plants can also be found here, which you also need to know.
Poisonous plants of the Caucasian mountains
A feature of many poisonous plants of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and its other areas is that in small doses and with a certain caution, they turn out to be therapeutic agents. It is worth listing the most common of them.
- Hellebore Caucasian.
It can only be used under the supervision of specialists. The properties of hellebore can surprise anyone. It helps to cleanse the body of toxins, removes salts of heavy metals and even radioactive elements. Doctors prescribe hellebore for obesity because it promotes weight loss. Among plants, hellebore is truly unique.
- Belladonna.
The fact that she is from the nightshade family already says a lot. It grows in the foothills, it is cultivated because it is indispensable as an antispasmodic. Preparations from belladonna are also used in eye clinics, since with their help you can expand the pupil. However, despite all its beneficial properties and the inclusion in the composition of many preparations (both external and internal), belladonna is a poisonous plant, and products based on it are not available without a prescription.
- Belena is black.
It even entered into a well-known proverb (“I ate too much henbane,” they say about crazy people). Medical oil is made from it, which provides significant assistance in the treatment of neuralgia and rheumatism. Like other similar herbs, henbane should be dried and stored separately from other medicinal plants.
- Caucasian ash tree.
Another poisonous, but no less amazing representative of the flora of the Caucasus. What is one of its popular name - the burning bush. So the ash tree was nicknamed because it contains so many essential oils that it can flare up on a hot day. Collect this grass with gloves, otherwise the hands are burned. However, the ash tree is able to heal the kidneys, help with epilepsy and cystitis, and even expel worms.
All these and many others benefit people, but on condition that they are used in very moderate doses. In order not to be mistaken, it is worth having at hand their photo and description - especially poisonous ones. And yet there are much more medicinal herbs here, and shrubs, semi-shrubs, flowers, trees can be added to them ...
The Caucasus is a wonderful place on Earth - it gives health by its very existence.