Rhododendrons of the Himalaya

"The Himalaya is truly Rhododendron country. As you make your way along the Dzongri trail in Sikkim, extensive forests of Rhododendron can be seen all along the trail and across large tracts of the Dzongri meadows. This flower is the breathtaking glory of Sikkim and the land boasts of some 30 species from the gigantic Rhododendron grande –a tree that towers at 40 feet; to the diminutive nivale that rises barely 2 inches from the ground.

Some like the Dalhousiae are epiphytes growing on top of tall trees and barely visible from below; others are painted prima donnas: like the conspicuous falconeri with its large fleshy leaves covered with rust-colored filaments on their underside. The Rhodondendron literally live off its looks: the highly colored flowers are crucial since they are the only source of attraction for bees and butterflies since no species has any fragrance.

These trails were also the favorite stamping ground of the man who pioneered the first attempt to systematically explore the land and document information about the flora and fauna of the Eastern Himalaya: Joseph Dalton Hooker. The British botanist was the son of the first Director of London’s renowned Kew Gardens, and a close friend of Darwin’s. After obtaining his MD from Glasgow University in 1839, young Hooker traveled extensively for most of his life going off on botanical expeditions to all corners of the world (including the Antarctic region) and publishing prolifically on his findings and theories.

Ladakh | Flowers

Many people imagine Ladakh to be a cold desert - dry, arid, barren, rocky and without any greenery. However, during the summer months amidst this barren and austere landscape flowers bloom often as high as 5000 metres. These are some photographs of the floral wealth of Ladakh during a July trek between Shang Sumdo and Stok crossing two high passes Shang La and Matho La.

For details about our treks in the Himalaya do visit www.southcol.com

Mustang | Flowers and Plants in the Trans Himalaya

The rain shadow area of Mustang close to the Tibetan border is similar to the rest of the Trans-Himalaya and close to Tibet in topography and features.

One would expect that this desert like terrain where the winds howls up the Kali Gandaki river valley every day would not be conducive for plant life.

A South Col team trekked Mustang  to Mustang twice in 2015 and again in 2016. We were very surprised to find so  many flowers and plants in bloom.

Here are some photographs of the plants and flowers we saw:

For more information and photographs on Mustang do visit

http://www.sujoydas.com/Nepal-Himalaya/Mustang-In-the-Land-of-Lo/i-LMNdRDz

http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2015/09/mustang-and-lo-manthang-itinerary-part-i.html

http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2015/09/mustang-and-lo-manthang-itinerary-part.html

Orchids | Singapore Changi Airport

The Singapore  Orchid Garden  at Changi Airport Terminal 2 features more than 700 orchids of 30 species grouped by their various colours and shapes, representing the 4 elements of nature – Earth, Water, Fire and Air. White orchids displayed with floating glass bubbles represent 'Air', while rare brown and green orchids displayed with tree root sculptures represent 'Earth'.  Floral columns simulating giant candles represent 'Fire' while clustered blue and violet orchids represent the 'Water' element.

Some photographs of the stunning orchids in bloom:

Sikkim Flora | Yumthang and Yume Samdong Valley in June

At the start of the monsoon in early June and after the crowds have gone the valley between Yumthang and Yume Samdong  in North Sikkim presents a floral spectacle which is not seen by many. Here are some photographs of the flora of the valley.

Ladakh Flora II

Many people assume that since Ladakh is a barren cold desert nothing grows there. However, if you do visit Ladakh during the summer months and trek in the mountains you will be greeted with a  variety of wild flowers of different colours and textures. This is the second post in the series of Ladakh flora. The first post can  be found at  http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2016/08/ladakh-flora-i.html

For more posts from Ladakh do visit  http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/search/label/Ladakh

For photographs of Ladakh and Zanskar do visit  http://www.sujoydas.com/Ladakh-and-Zanskar

For treks in Ladakh do visit  http://www.southcol.com/treks-nepal/rumtse-to-tso-moriri/

Ladakh Flora I

Most people who have not been to Ladakh imagine it to be a barren wasteland devoid of vegetation and flowers. But in the summer months many of our Himalayan floral species bloom in this high altitude desert.  Some of the flora of Ladakh seen over different treks and expeditions mainly between the months of July to September are below in this two part post. The second part will follow soon.