North American plants from East to West

 

With such wide ranging climatic conditions and changes in elevation it's no wonder that the flora of the United States is so varied. In this talk you are taken from the woodlands plants of the east such as Viola pedata and Cypripedium acaule.

Cypripedium pubescens below is a beaytiful yellow with those twisted fals that look like ringlets. Cypripedium acaule and C. acaule alba both love acid sand and plenty of pine mulch.

 

 

Cypripedium acaule

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cypreipedium acaule alba

 

 

 

 

 

Above is the lovely Viola pedata bi-colour 'Eco Artist's Palette' intoduced by Don Jacobs of Eco-Gardens.

 

To the mid States for Trillium nivale and Clematis fremontii

a non-vining Clematis that grows on stoney slopes amongst

grasses. A superb plant for pot culture that can be

propagated by cuttings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crossing such mountain ranges as the Rocky Mountains

 

 

Where we look at Eritrichium nanum

Eritrichium howardii

before going on to the White Mountains of California

for the high alpines and dryland plants of the west.

Here you can stand at almost 15,000' gazing at the peaks

surrounding you and then look down at your feet to see

beautiful flowers that will take your breath away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Castilleja species abound everywhere in colours ranging from white to green-yellow to pink and deep red. From 3" to 3' in height. The paintbrushes are apply named colouring the scenery wherever you look.

Castilleja haydenii

This rare and beautiful Townsendia species loves growing in the tufa screes of the Pryor Mountains of Montana. It has now been identified as a form of Townsendia spathulata although records only show it growing in Wyoming. As can be seen it is completely different to the Townsendia spathulata in cultivation.

 

Douglasia laevigata grows at the side of hiking trails in the northwest, but pictured here is Douglasia laevigata 'Gothenburgh' a beautiful selection raised by Geoff Rollinson from seed received from Gothenburg Botanic Gardens in 1986.