*Highlights* 5-2012, Week 28 (July 9 – July 16)

Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden

DON’T MISS:

1. The Large Blue Poppy (Meconopsis ’Lingholm’). This is a garden hybrid, coupled with a chromosome doubling. Photo: Arve Elvebakk

1. The Large Blue Poppy (Meconopsis ’Lingholm’). This is a garden hybrid, coupled with a chromosome doubling. The plant therefore behaves like a distinct species. Our nicest specimen now is in the Rhododendron Valley. However, 10 m to the north, you can also see the true M. grandis, one of its parents. Its flowers are more violet-bluish. The red M. punicea still flowers in our Himalaya.

2. The Stemless Gentian (Gentiana acaulis) on the top of the Gentiana Hill.

3. Lewisias (Lewisia spp.), phloxes (Phlox spp. ) and Penstemons (Penstemon spp.) in our North America.

4. Summer flowering among the North Norwegian Tradition Plants and in our Caucasus.

5. Notice full bloom also outside the Garden – the meadow is now white from Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris).

6. Still flowering among the rhododendrons, see the deviating Camtchatka Rhododendron (Therorhodion camtchaticum) in the uppermost part of the small valley.