Flora of the French Alps in Vanoise – Fleurs de la Vanoise

The Alps are home to an impressive floral pool with more than 1,200 different varieties of plants found in the Vanoise massif only. One of the most colourful images you may have of the French Alps in summer is of high pastures thick with Alpine flowers. Here is a selection of flowers we photographed during one of our walk in the Vanoise National Park.

Alpine pasqueflower – Anémone des Alpes – Pulsatilla alpina

Mountain avens – Dryade à huit pétale – thé des Alpes – Dryas octopetala

Yellow bell-flower – Campanule en thyrse – Campanula thyrsoides

Alpine aster – Aster des Alpes – Aster alpinus

Snow gentian – Gentiane des neiges – Gentiana nivalis

Alpenrose – Rhododendron ferrugineux or Rose des Alpes – Rhododendron ferrugineum

Alpine snow-bell – Soldanelle des Alpes – Soldanella alpina

Moss campion – Silène sans pédoncule – Silene exscapa

Spring gentian – Gentiane printanière – Gentiana verna

Yellow thistle – Cirse épineux – Cirsium spinosissimum

Oneflower fleabane – Vergerette à une fleur – Erigeron uniflorus

Edelweiss – Étoile d’argent – Leontopodium alpinum

Linaria alpina – Linaire des Alpes (or Muflier des Alpes or Gueule-de-lion des Alpes)

Stemless gentian – Gentiane de Koch or Gentiane acaule – Gentiana acaulis

Stemless gentian – Gentiane de Koch – Gentiane acaule – Gentiana acaulis

Marguerite – Oxeye daisy – Leucanthemum vulgare

Globe-flower – Trolle d’Europe – Trollius europaeus

Meadow rue – Pigamon à feuilles d’ancolie – Thalictrum aquilegiifolium

Great Yellow Gentian – Gentiane jaune – Gentiana lutea

Perennial Cornflower – Centaurée des montagnes – Centaurea montana

Mountain houseleek – Joubarbe des montagnes – Sempervivum montanum

Burnt Orchid – Orchis Brulé – Orchis ustulata

Heath Spotted-orchid – Orchis tacheté – Dactylorhiza maculata

Vanilla orchid – Nigritelle noire or orchis vanillé – Nigritella nigra

All these photos were taken in the vicinity of Pralognan-la-Vanoise.
Find out more about the Vanoise National Park here.
View our Flickr Photoset on the Flowers of the Vanoise massif here.