Rock Garden

From early spring to late autumn, the rock garden is one of the most colourful places in Tallinn Botanic Garden. It was constructed on a natural slope for the exposition of mountain plants between 1970 and 1973.

The pond enjoys good water flow – water lilies (Nymphaea) grow here – and divides the rock garden in half. In the small pool of water near the pond you can see lesser bulrush (Typha angustifolia). The natural habitat of the species growing in the rock garden is usually the mountains of Europe, Asia or North America, but we also have a few species from South America, New Zealand and North Africa. There are about 660 taxa from more than 250 genera of over 60 families in our collection of mountain plants.

The earliest bloomers, which start to come out as soon as the snow begins to melt, are hellebores (Helleborus). Pasque flowers (Pulsatilla), whitlow grass (Draba), pheasant’s eye (Adonis vernalis) and bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) bloom in April. May sees the full blossoming of primroses (Primula), aubrietas (Aubrieta), phloxes (Phlox), mayapples (Podophyllum) and Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla), adding colour to the garden.

The height of blossoming comes in June. This is when cinquefoils (Potentilla), globeflowers (Trollius), poppies (Papaver), alumroots (Heuchera), dragonhead (Dracocephalum ruyschiana) and lady’s mantle (Alchemilla epipsila) form their most colourful patterns. From high summer to autumn frost blazing stars (Liatris), coneflowers (Echinacea, Rudbeckia), asters (Aster) and Blue Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro) also bloom in the rock garden.