Stranddalen, in the south-west of Norway

[Knud]

Here are three heaths, starting with the Bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia) with its beautiful pink and highly poisonous bells. In fact, the whole plant is poisonous and has nothing to do with rosemary.

The other two are probably my favourites of these hills. Both are often found where they can grow without competition spreading over a rock, though one, the Trailing azalea (Kalmia procumbens) is also found in dense low-growing plant communities on dry ridges and similar dry places.

The Moss bell heather (Harrimanella hypnoides) is not very common and the flowers small, so it is easy to walk right past and not notice it. But once you have seen it, it is striking in its red-on-white contrast.

[Knud]

And finally, odds and ends.

The first is known as a berry, and a tasty one at that. The Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) is normally found in lush green carpets full of black berries late in the summer. I have chosen to show a picture of a single plant I saw growing out of a vertical rockface, looking like an ancient upside-down tree. It might even be quite old.

Second is the Net-leaved willow (Salix reticulata) emerging from under its moss campion blanket. It is one of six alpine willows in Stranddalen. In the top left corner of that picture is a Saxifraga aizoides.

Then the Stiff sedge (Carex bigelowii) with its striking inflorescence. Next to the sedge in the picture is a Vaccinium, now… which one? Blaeberry or Bog bilberry? Just checking .

There are several fern species in Stranddalen, this is maybe an unusual one, the Parsley fern (Cryptogramma crispa), growing through last years stubble. Where it grew, on somewhat wet shady screes, there was lots of it, just sprouting after the winter.

The last picture is of the boulder ‘Smoerslagjo’, a well-known feature and bigger than it looks in the picture. The area around it is ‘rumoured’ to be a hotspot of alpines in Stranddalen. We were close but didn’t get there this year as it would mean crossing a couple of snow-bridges to get to it in reasonable time. Having had an unpleasant experience on a snow-bridge the day before I was not going to venture onto another one for a while. When the summer returns, though…