Linnaea borealis

[Magnar]

On my way to the mountain cabin this weekend I came across this wonderful Linnea borealis, growing among Alchemilla alpina, , Empetrum nigrum and Vaccinium vitis-idaea. Don't think I have ever seen so many flowers so close together. Usually they are a couple here and a couple there.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

They look smashing Magnar !!
Thanks for sharing !

[Paul T]

Beautiful Magnar.  Just beautiful. 

[gote]

i envy you Magnar,
Linneas here grow in the forests and the flowers are long between.
I think 'Mountain' is the word here.
Many years ago I walked in the Swedish mountains and noticed that some forest floor flowers were growing in the open above the tree limit in places where water was abundant. Both Linneas and pyrolas were stunning.
I assume you had these conditions where you took the pictures.
Cheers
Göte

[Magnar]

You know, Göte, here in the north, mountain flowers grow all down to the sea and even on small islands. But Linnea is a forest plant even here. The pic was taken just as I started to walk upwards,, may be 4 meters above the sea. The plant is growing in a crack in the cliff where water comes running down.

[Anthony Darby]

It is a rare Scottish native, which I have yet to see in the wild. So nice to see en masse.

[Ragged Robin]

Really pretty Linnea borealis flowers hanging above its carpet of ground hugging leaves, Magnar - thanks for showing them 

[gote]

You know, Göte, here in the north, mountain flowers grow all down to the sea and even on small islands. But Linnea is a forest plant even here. The pic was taken just as I started to walk upwards,, may be 4 meters above the sea. The plant is growing in a crack in the cliff where water comes running down.

Well my point is that some forest plants grow better in the open if they have enough (non-stagnant) water available. Itis nice that you found it to be true also at lower levels. We should perhaps try to learn from this. To build such a place belongs among my mańana projects 
Göte

[Lesley Cox]

I don't believe we have this Scandinavian form in New Zealand but we have the American form, var. americana and that is said to flower more freely than the other. Whether this is so or not I don't know, but mine does flower very well in an open place, not even very shady and with just a little maple tree at its back. I'll get a pic in the spring. I have it planted over Galanthus niv. 'Straffan.'

[Ragged Robin]

You know, Göte, here in the north, mountain flowers grow all down to the sea and even on small islands. But Linnea is a forest plant even here. The pic was taken just as I started to walk upwards,, may be 4 meters above the sea. The plant is growing in a crack in the cliff where water comes running down.

Well my point is that some forest plants grow better in the open if they have enough (non-stagnant) water available. Itis nice that you found it to be true also at lower levels. We should perhaps try to learn from this. To build such a place belongs among my mańana projects 
Göte

I've noticed this too, Gote, in forest clearings plants that mainly choose shade are quite happy exposed to sun in the leaf litter and other plants survive in cool rock crevices where water drips between.

[cohan]

this is a really exceptional display
this plant is very very abundant here, but again, typically flowers are much farther apart--i have seen some nice clusters, but not so extensive...

i will agree that many forest dwellers flower better when there is more sun, within reason; i think in terms of native distribution of species, its often not a case of where the plant grows best, its  a case of where it is able to survive and resist competition: if the species has an edge in one particular environment that enables it to outcompete other species (or, often, simply remain IN  the competition.) it will be found there more often than another spot where maybe it would do really well, but something else could grow faster and crowd it out..
we have many forest species that look and flower great in fairly open spots when trees are removed, but in the natural cycle of things, those spots will be quickly overgrown by grasses, shrubs and trees, and the plants will be once more left in the shade or completely overwhelmed; they can hope for a season or two of extra seed production before that happens, and then they will go back to lesser flowering in shady spots where the more vigorous plants cant survive/thrive...

the same applies to many drought tolerant species--they would happily grow in moister spots, but might be outcompeted there..

[gote]

You are riding my hobby horse Cohan 
I could not agree more.
Göte

[cohan]

good, so i'm not just whistling in the dark

[maggiepie]

How lovely they are, Magnar.
Is your cabin far from your house?

[Magnar]

How lovely they are, Magnar.
Is your cabin far from your house?

The cabin is by a lake on a smaller island, ( Pic 1) The mountain is alomst 1000 meter high. and the cabin is in a valley behing the mountain.  .. we have to go bt a car ferry,, and then drive and walk. It takes about 2 hours to get there.

Pic 2 is the cabin and pic 3 is taken at midnight, all pics taken in May 2 years ago.