Primula deorum in the Rila Mountains

[Sinchets]

As seen this Tuesday on Mount Maliovitsa and Wednesday on Mount Musala- Primula deorum.

[Lesley Cox]

That is very nice, especially in the clump. Right beside water?

[Gerdk]

Great to see this plant growing wild - thank you!

Gerd

[Paul T]

Beutiful, Simon.  Obviously they like wet conditions when in growth?  Nice clumps of them.  Fascinating to see them in the wild.  Thanks.

[Sinchets]

The Primula deorum was one of the plants we were hoping to see in the Rila. Chris spotted the first and we realised we had been walking through them for a while, before we came to the first plants which were still in flower. Plants at the edges of the meadows were in seed and the soil here was quite dry. Plants near, or even in the water, were on the whole still flowering. So I think wet conditions while flowering and drier later. There was still snow melt feeding the streams higher up the valleys, but some of the tributary streams had already dried up.

[David Shaw]

Primula deorum was probably the first flower that we saw on Rila. It was actually growing in meltwater streams, some a couple of inches deep. Yes, they probably dry out later in summer when the snow has gone. Does the snow go completely, Simon, or is there residual snow on Rila?

[Sinchets]

The north facing slopes of Musala still had a little snow- and this was feeding the streams in some of the areas where we saw P.deorum. The weather being what it is here I cannot imagine it will still be there in a few weeks time. However the streams themselves should keep running from the tarns. The lowest population had finished flowering and the soil there had no standing water. The upper population- past the tarn in the photo were still quite wet along the streamside. We hope to return for seed collecting soon and I am interested to see what the conditions are like then.

[David Shaw]

Simon, it is a few years ago now but as I remember it:
we went up on the gondoler and walked forward to the mountain refuge then dropped down a bit to the valley floor. The whole area to the left of the Musala path were swimming in water and the rocks lying there were acting as stepping stones. The primula were abundant in this wet area.

[Sinchets]

Yes, David- we were above the refuge- or hotel complex as it will soon be judging by the amount of building going on. They do say this kind of building in National Parks is illegal, but...
Anyway the next tarn up had Primula still flowering and you could see the water level would have been much higher a few weeks ago. I want to see when we go back what happens to the Primula growing in drying soil, as a clue to how would be best to cultivate any plants I manage to grow from seed.