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Rock Alpine
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  Hear from the Curator

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Hear from the Curator

Hear Mike Kintgen, Curator of Alpine Collections describe the surprising similarities between Colorado's landscapes and those of Patagonia's South American steppe regions.






Explore plants from the South American steppe region growing in the Rock Alpine Garden, a garden home to more than 2,300 species of plants.



A grassland landscape of Patagonia.

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  Bidi bidi (Acaena magellanica)

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Bidi bidi (Acaena magellanica)



Native to: South America
Bloom time: May through September

Found in wetland areas, bidi bidi is native to both New Zealand and the Patagonian region of South America. It produces spiny burs that shatter and lodge in animal fur, hitching a ride on the animal as it moves across the countryside to spread the plant's seeds.

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  Zapato de la reina (Calceolaria polyrhiza)

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Zapato de la reina (Calceolaria polyrhiza)



Native to: South America
Bloom time: May

In its native Patagonia, the common name zapato de la reina (meaning "shoe of the queen") refers to this plant's striking slipper-shaped flowers. Most other species of Calceolaria live in warmer or wetter climates - this is one of the few that prefers a cool, dry climate.

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  Petunia (Petunia patagonica)

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Petunia (Petunia patagonica)



Native to: South America
Bloom time: May through June

The cushion shape of this peculiar-looking petunia serves an important purpose—it hugs the ground to survive the ceaseless winds of its native Patagonia. Unlike the familiar annual petunias that you may have in your garden, P. patagonica is hardy in the Colorado climate and needs very little water or fertilizer to thrive.