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 the flora of the French Alps we photographed during one of our walks in the Vanoise National Park.
The Flora of the French Alps
You will find the names of the flora of the French Alps in English, French and Latin.
All these photos were taken in the surroundings of Pralognan-la-Vanoise.
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
Oxeye daisy – Marguerite – 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
More info!
- Vanoise National Park on the blog
- The French Alps: a mini-discovery guide on the blog
- The historic province of Savoie on the blog
- The Tourist Board of Pralognan-la-Vanoise
- Find your accommodation in the Vanoise massif with our partner Booking.com
- The Vanoise National Park website [in French only]
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