The rock is stone-still, but it is deep in its innards that everything begins: each element interacts harmoniously with the others to define the identity of an entire mountain. The heart of the Eastern Alps primarily consists of calcareous rock, rich in calcium carbonate: for this reason, they are home above all to plants that love limestone.
But many plants of this genus are also found in the Western Alps, right here in Valle d’Aosta, such as the Alpine Saw-wort, the Genepi and the Edeswaiss as well.
Then there is the Rhododendron hirsutum, with furry leaves. It is in the same genus as the Rhododendron ferrugineum - which has leaves whose underside is rust-colored and is native to the Western Alps, those you are standing on - and shares the same common name, Rose of the Alps, thanks to its bright pink blooms.
The difference?
It’s all in their favorite soil: alkaline and calcareous for the first, acid for our one.
