by Loren Russell
Near the west end of the Alps in France lies the Dauphiné and the Ecrins National Park. This region, epitomized by the 12,800 foot La Meije, the last major summit of the Alps to be climbed, was for centuries one of the poorest areas of the Alps, and it was one of the last to be developed for tourism.
Those who were attracted were usually British mountain-climbers and other adventurers. some of these travelers were interested in botany, and since the 1930s, the Dauphiné has been a favored destination for botanical tours sponsored by the Alpine Garden Society. Even after millennia of subsistence farming and grazing, and under increased pressure from present-day recreation, the natural heritage of the Dauphiné remains rich. This slide show highlights two weeks of hiking and botanical exploration with the Alpine Garden Society based in the village of La Grave. In this mountain landscape, wildflowers are everywhere.
We see hay meadows riotous with yellow, pink and blue flowers, lush streamsides and forests with many of our familiar garden plants growing in the wild. The high meadows and rocks are full of classic alpine-garden plants: violas, primroses, gentians, androscaces, saxifrages, campanulas, and alpine forget-me-not. It's revealing to see easy subjects like sempervivums and thymes among these on the high ridges. To a naturalist familiar with American mountain plants, though, the most striking feature of all may be the orchids -- as many as 18 species were seen in this small area, from the botanical-interest-only to the spectacular. Nearby at Lautaret Pass, the University of Grenoble maintains one of the largest alpine botanic gardens in the world, with mountain plants from around the world -- even paintbrushes and shootingstars from Oregon.
Loren Russell lives and gardens in Corvallis. He is a member of the Emerald chapter of NARGS, and an avid hiker, photographer and seed-collector. He is past President of the Emerald chapter of NARGS, and took a leading role in planning and coordinating the hikes at the 1998 National Meeting in Eugene.