Alpine garden
Alpine plants
Cultivating alpine plants under the climax of Lyon is not easy and there are many species that can be kept in plain only with special cares.
However in the late 19th century an alpine garden was created, where mountain plants were kept close to rock plants. From 1943 to 1945 and more recently in 1982 this garden was considerably enlarged and transformed in a scientific spirit but keeping an aesthetic aspect.
This garden is often visited as soon as nature awakens, not only by botanists and plant lovers but also by persons who are passionately fond of mountains.
The current garden has a 2 000 m² surface. It is nearly enclosed by an artificial river, which presents a collection of horticultural lilies. The ancient part of the garden is now dedicated to French and European mountain flora, the "new" part shelters plants from the main extra European range of mountains.
This garden grows richer year by year and counts about 1 700 species. The plants are presented following a geographical classing on rock-works where there is often water running off.
Linaria genistifolia
(L.) Mill.
When you enter the European part, the rocks of the Western Alps and the central Alps present the alpine flora. Among the most remarkable species of the Western Alps we will quote: Silene valesia, Eryngium alpinum (blue thistle)... In the central Alps: Gentiana dinarica, Carex baldensis...
Other rocks present mainly the most characteristic speciesand in particular the endemic ones. Thus in those of Carpates and Balkans, we meet: Lilium chalcedonicum, Saponaria bellidifolia, Dianthus knapii...
Pulsatilla vulgaris
Mill.
The alpine flora of the south-European mountains is mainly located in the rock of the Iberian peninsula. One meets there: Narcissus cantrabricus, Armeria villosa, Astragalus lusitanicus...
The Pyrenees rock gathers exclusively forty special species from this place : Geranium endressei, Potentilla alchemilloides...
A rock for Northern Europe was recently created, it contains Erigeron borealis, Cochlearia danica....
Once crossed the arm of river which divides the garden, one sees on the right the Caucasus and Asia Mineure raising their ripraps delimited by a small path, in front of that the Himalayas rock,and on the left the Siberian plateau. Among the species of the Caucasus, we notice: Centaurea bella, Geranium renardi, Inula thapsioides...
Podophyllum hexandrum
Royle
Central Asia presents many species: Dracocephalum nutans, Linaria genistifolia, Arenaria graminifolia, Veronica rupestris...
The plants of the Himalayas occupy a rocky bed. Herbaceous plants draw the attention, for example: Potentilla ambigua, Incarvillea delavayi, Podophyllum hexandrum...
On a small rubble very interesting species of New Zealand are cultivated: large woody Speedwells, whose one made the Hebe kind, like Veronica traversii or Veronica cupressoides.
Penstemon glaber
Pursh
Chinese and Japanese plants are staged on a whole of rocks between which a narrow path was traced to form a limit. Among the plants from China, one can see: Rodgersia pinnata, Jeffersonia dubia, Lilium henryi...
In the Japanese part of the rock: Astilbe japonica, Dioscorea nipponica, Iris japonica....
Another rubble gathers some types of Cordillière of the Andes. It is mainly: Azorella trifurcata, Oenothera taraxifolia, Eryngium pandanifolium...
A rockis devoted to North America chains, on which are representatives of special kinds like Penstemon, Phlox, Eriogonum, Heuchera, Polemonium and of the species such as Dryas drummondii, Antennaria rosea, Oenothera missouriensis...
Erodium corsicum
Léman
More recently, a rock of Corsica and Sardinia has been created, it contains: Polygonum scoparium, Bellium crassifolium, Rosa serafini, Erodium corsicum, Ranunculus bullatus...
Creation of a rock for the North Africa mountains with: Bupleurum benoistii, Chrysanthemum atlanticum, Asphodelus fistulosus...
Creation of a rock for Northern Europe mountains with: Potentilla norvegica, Galium trifidum, Betula humilis...
The rivers of the Alpine Garden themselves are strewn with species which have not any mountainous character. One sees Aponogeton distachum there, some potamots, many varieties of open air Nymphaea and Nelumbium speciosum.
Finally a large rubble separated from the garden by the river appears to prolong it. An artificial source leaves there in cascade to supply another basin containing : Typha minima, Osmunda regalis.
