Mountain avens

About

Dryas octopetala is a plant of the Arctic and high mountains. In Central Europe, it is a glacial relict: after the retreat of the glacier, it survived only high in the mountains, and its remains are so abundant in the deposits of that time that the cold phase at the end of the Ice Age was named in its honor — the 'Younger Dryas.'

It is a tiny sprawling shrub 2–10 cm tall with woody stems that lie flat on the ground. The leaves are leathery, 1.5–3 cm, shiny on top, woolly underneath, with a serrated edge — truly resembling oak leaves, hence the name. The flowers are solitary, up to 4 cm in diameter, white, most often with eight petals. The fruits with feathery 'tails' form a fluffy head. The shrub lives a very long time — up to a hundred years.

In Poland, Dryas grows almost exclusively in the Tatra Mountains, where it is common and rises to 2150 m; another location is known in the Pieniny Mountains. Most of our records come from the Slovak mountains: the Little Fatra, the Bielanske, the Western, the Low, and the High Tatras, although it is also found in Romania. It grows on screes, rocky meadows, and among rocks, almost always on limestone. It blooms in June–July.

In Ukraine, Dryas is a great rarity: according to Ukrainian Wikipedia, it grows only on Blyznytsia in Świdowiec and in Chornohora and is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine with the status of 'endangered.' Here, it cannot be picked or dug up; we do not publish exact locations.

Where in the Carpathians

Orange — where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0/CC BY); a blank area does not mean it is absent.

Countries

Ukraine · Slovakia · Romania · Poland · Czechia

Mountain ranges

In other countries: 🇸🇰 Lesser Fatra, 🇸🇰 Belianske Tatras, 🇸🇰 Western Tatras, 🇸🇰 Low Tatras, 🇸🇰 High Tatras, 🇸🇰 Choč Mountains, 🇸🇰 Strážov Mountains, 🇸🇰 Slovak Ore Mountains, 🇷🇴 Bucegi Mountains, 🇷🇴 Făgăraș Mountains, 🇸🇰 Slovak Paradise, 🇷🇴 Piatra Craiului, 🇷🇴 Buzău Mountains, 🇵🇱 Pieniny

Altitude belts

Conifer forests (1200–1600 m) · Subalpine belt (1600–1900 m) · Alpine belt (above 1900 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Protection and rules

According to Ukrainian Wikipedia, listed in the Red Book of Ukraine (endangered). Picking and digging up is prohibited.

Admire, don’t pick: plants listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine — and any plants in nature reserves and strictly protected zones of national parks — must not be collected.

Red Data Book of Ukraine

FAQ