'Western Europe's last wilderness'

[Liz Mills]

What a joy it has been to read this thread.  I visited Iceland four years ago and this reminded me of the mountains, the 24 hours daylight and the vast emptiness there.  I'll need to re-visit my plant photos from this trip as I'll be able to use your photos to identify some of the unknowns.

Thank you Ashley

[Maren]

Ashley,

what an inspiring thread. Something to come back to time and again. You mentioned Pinguicula, I was thrilled. Would you know which ones they were? I don't suppose they're in cultivation?

It was good of you to organise your pictures in the way you did. When it came close to O, I wondered if you found any orchids. apparently not???

[ashley]

Delighted you enjoyed it Liz.  Yes indeed Iceland has white summer nights, beautiful landscapes and many of the same plants.  Also it has wonderful mountains right by the sea, especially in the north-west and north.
Perhaps you can take us on a visit  

Thanks for your kind comments Maren.  Pinguicula vulgaris is widespread in Sarek but in a few places I came across quite large colonies of P. alpina as well as various intermediate forms (P. x hybrida).  Several orchids are reported to grow here too but unfortunately they eluded me  

[cohan]

Back again, belatedly.

Armin, I’m very far from an expert on any of this unfortunately.  Subarctic or alpine environments are generally ‘emptier’ and have lower biodiversity so seem ‘simpler’ too.   But maybe we’re just not looking hard enough

Cohan, yeah the ‘empty’ landscapes of the north appeal a lot to me too - and you have those on such an epic scale in Canada
I find the lack of visual ‘clutter’ very calming and relaxing, as with sea or desert too.

biodiversity is an interesting subject! just to pull some numbers from a hat--my alberta plants book mentions 1750 plant species for alberta (provincial area 661,185 km sq; believe this is vascular and non-vascular together) and a very quick web search suggests betweeen 20,000 and 50,000, vascular species alone for mexico (1,958,200 km sq)!!

nonetheless, i am realising that even a couple hundred in a local area is a lot when you are on the ground and looking closely over the course of a season

i hope to visit the 'empty' northern canadian zones one day-=-of course they are very far--- whitehorse, yukon -a possible starting point, is something like 1900km away by road or no doubt some expensive flights....lol..there must be some nearer areas in the north west territories, but must confess i don't know much about those areas!

[ashley]

... even a couple hundred in a local area is a lot when you are on the ground and looking closely over the course of a season

Definitely true Cohan.  Even for Sarek which is sometimes descibed as 'botanically impoverished' there are far more species than I mentioned here.  Rather than a random sample this was just a collection of the more eye-catching ones.

i hope to visit the 'empty' northern canadian zones one day-=-of course they are very far--- whitehorse, yukon -a possible starting point, is something like 1900km away by road or no doubt some expensive flights....lol..there must be some nearer areas in the north west territories, but must confess i don't know much about those areas! 

Just 2 days from southern Alberta to Watson Lake with a car & tent

[cohan]

i hope to visit the 'empty' northern canadian zones one day-=-of course they are very far--- whitehorse, yukon -a possible starting point, is something like 1900km away by road or no doubt some expensive flights....lol..there must be some nearer areas in the north west territories, but must confess i don't know much about those areas! 

Just 2 days from southern Alberta to Watson Lake with a car & tent

some day! though i might hold out for a camper or at least modified van! (those terms may not translate in britain--i mean a vehicle you can sleep in 

[ashley]

Well, two days from Edmonton anyway. 
I know it can be done, even allowing for a pair of teenagers in the back & some adventures along the way

[MarcR]

Beautiful photos!  Thank you Ashley

[ashley]

Glad you enjoyed them Marc.  Although not very diverse botanically, it's a part of the world I like very much.