Flora: By the Season

March/ April
Nepal comes alive with the spectacular colours of nature – rhododendrons, huge magnolias, orchids (there are over 300 species in Nepal) blue irises, lavender primulas and a variety of shrubs burst into bloom.

July/ August (Monsoon)
This is when you can marvel at the true colours of the Himalayas, particularly the southern slopes and the inner valleys, which are lush with mints, scrophs, buttercups, cinquefoils and polygonums. The temperate and alpine zones abound in dwarf rhododendrons, junipers, ephedras, cotoneasters, saxifrages and primulas.

These months are also the best time to visit Western Nepal. As it falls in the rain-shadow area, monsoon conditions ensure that the region is dry and free of leeches. The Dolpo area in particular, has a rich variety of flora. Jumla east is filled with ground orchids, edelweiss, corydalis, campanulas, anemones, forget-me-nots, impatiens and roses. Higher up in the alpine regions, larkspurs, geraniums, poppies, sedums and saxifrages proliferate. Common vegetation in the trans-Himalayas is primarily from the legume family, such as the spiny caragana and astragalus, and lonicera from the honeysuckle family.

Post-monsoon
Although this is the time most people choose to travel to Nepal, it is also the period in which most of the flowers of summer are gone. However, wild flowers such as luculia, osbeckia and St. John’swort usually survive in the subtropical and lower temperate areas. There are also the autumn yellows of maple and ginger leaves, and the reds of barberry shrubs to enjoy.

The temperate forests are a joy to behold in the dark. When they are backlit, the moss, epiphtic ferns and orchids seem almost luminescent and other-worldly.
The Kathmandu Valley is filled with silky oak, bottlebrush and eucalyptus, which are planted as ornamentals in their adoptive land along with cherry, poplar, jacaranda, bougainvillea and giant poinsettias. Nepalese have always had a passion for gardening and exotic plants such as hibiscus, camellia, cosmos and marigold are abundant.

Glance of Nepal