It could have been a poor day out but even when there’s some cloud about there’s still some great views and if you look down at your feet there’s some great flowers around. I’ll post a full blog sometime but here’s a taster.

Sorry, I’m having a letterbox phase with photo’s, I’ll probably get over it but if it’s good enough for DVD’s it’s good enough for the blog!

Tags: Alpine Flowers | Hiking | hiking in Switzerland | Les Diablerets | trekking | trekking in Switzerland | walking in Switzerland

common butterbur, Petasites hybridus, April-May, 15-150cm high

I hadn’t realized until I was reading an article the other day that this was a member of the same family as coltsfoot apparently, there’s a vague resemblance though maybe.

This was growing in some quantity up near the Grand Muveran when I was over there in early May. I was surprised to see it growing out of these stones really, the ground below must be fairly damp and rich to support the plant. It’s been known as Bog rhubarb and Pestilence wort, the latter as like so many other plants it was wrongly thought to be a cure for bubonic plague which speaks to what a desperate time that was.

see also : White Butterbur on SwissMountainLeader

Tags: Alpine Flowers | common butterbur | Petasites hybridus

Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa) perennial, March-May, 10-25 high

This plant is only visible for a short while, after it’s flowered and the fruits have ripened the plant withdraws its upper parts staying below ground until spring. There’s a variation in the number of petals between 6 and 8.

The plant can spread using seeds but it also uses an extensive root system shooting stems up over an area. If you see a group of these flowers it’s highly likely it’s a single individual

Tags: Alpine Flowers | Anemone nemorosa | St Jean | Swiss Mountain Leader | Val d'Anniviers | Wood Anemone