A diverse range of spring-flowering plants can be found in the Mountains House, including Dionysia freitagii.
Comprising approximately 40 species from the mountains of Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, the Pamirs and Pakistan, the genus Dionysia is a member of the primrose family (Primulaceae). It is a challenging genus in cultivation, with all species requiring some shading, good ventilation, and a very careful watering regime. All are chasmophytic (cushion-forming) in habit, and when well cultivated produce a dense mass of tiny flowers which completely cover the foliage. Here in our alpine collection they are grown in a frost free greenhouse and are displayed here when in full flower. This species, D. freitagii, originates from Afghanistan.