Alpine Plants Ecology for Gardeners

Plants growing in alpine conditions face tough challenges just to survive, let alone flourish. An understanding of alpine ecology and knowledge of how these remarkably adapted plants thrive in their demanding environments is essential to growing them successfully in cultivation. Alpine Plants explores ecosystems above the treeline on mountains and beyond the treeline in subpolar regions from a gardener's perspective. It looks at the effects of geology and soils, low temperatures, precipitation, drought, and snow on the morphology and life cycles of alpine plants--including perennial herbs and grasses, annuals and biennials, prostrate and dwarf shrubs, bulbs, and cushion plants. Armed with an understanding of how plants function in these extreme environments, gardeners will be able to tailor their cultivation practices in lowland gardens to mimic the alpine habitat as closely as possible. A concise introduction to the science behind the success of alpine plants, this fascinating and accessible book is an invaluable complement to more plant-focused references.