All flowers
Alpine Toadflax Wikimedia Commons
Plantaginaceae

Alpine Toadflax

Linaria alpina

Unexpected beauty.

Family
Plantaginaceae
Genus
Linaria
Native to
European Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines
Bloom season
Summer
Type
perennial
Height
0.2-0.5 ft
Sunlight
full sun
Soil
Well-drained, rocky, gravelly soil
Water
low
Hardiness
4-8
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • Alpine Toadflax flowers have a distinctive orange blotch on their lower lip that guides pollinators.
  • The plant is a pioneer species, often among the first to colonize bare gravel and scree slopes.
  • Its flowers closely resemble tiny snapdragons and can only be opened by strong insects like bees.
  • Alpine Toadflax can self-seed prolifically in gravel gardens, naturalizing beautifully over time.
  • The species has adapted to grow in nutrient-poor glacial moraine deposits at elevations over 9,000 feet.

Color meanings

0

surprise

1

hidden talents

Uses

  • rock gardens
  • gravel gardens
  • alpine displays