The biggest problem for the photographer trying to capture an image of Linnaea borealis is that it tends to grow in quite deep shade in woods. That difficulty is compounded by the fact that the flowers are usually so closely grouped that picking out one or two is quite tricky.

Walking back to the Hotel from the station by a circuitous route, having decided not to go on the snowy mountain adventure planned by our organiser, I recognised the woodland habitat as being very similar to that where I have seen Twinflower growing in Scotland. Soon I found many plants but all in the shade. Imagine my delight when I found this superbly positioned group growing on a tree stump at exactly the right height and illuminated by a single shaft of morning sunlight.

Common in Scandinavia and north America, this plant grows at altitude in a few places in the Swiss Alps which is one of its most southerly stations in Europe.

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Linnaea borealis English twin flower	Linnaea borealis English single flower	Linnaea borealis English whole plant

Woods by river in Pontresina, Engadine Switzerland, 7th July 2010

Added on 29th November 2010, updated 17th June 2014