Budding spring - Rhodiola and Opuntia

My Rhodiola rosea plants are coming out of winter in great shape. A couple of years ago I collected a handful of rhizomes from habitat in Greenland and now grow the plants in an unprotected bed along with my hardy cacti. The Rhodiola rosea plants originate from the hills above Hospitalsdalen (Hospital Valley), a place named after an American military hospital built in connection with the Bluie West One airfield during the 2nd World War. The hills are situated a few kilometers north east of Narsarsuaq and from the top you have a direct view of the Greenland Ice Sheet – I guess the location says it all regarding the plants cold tolerance ;-)


Rhodiola rosea (Narsarsuaq, Greenland)

I’m a bit curious as to whether I have both male and female plants; when I dug up the rhizomes I didn’t know the plants were dioecious, so even though they were flowering at the time I didn’t pay attention to their sex.

Allegedly Rhodiola rosea is categorized as an adaptogen with various health-promoting effects (like e.g. Panax ginseng), but I have no experience with these aspects of the plant.

My Opuntias are also breaking out of dormancy and beginning to set new growth, as illustrated by the pictures below.


Opuntia tortispina (DJF 1139; west Albuquerque, New Mexico)


Opuntia hystricina (DJF 1138; Bernalillo County, New Mexico)