Salute to Idaho Agriculture: High-altitude plants

KETCHUM, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — The high temperatures this week mean that plants will need more water, however, that doesn’t necessarily apply to the focus of this week’s Salute to Idaho Agriculture.

Gardening and being outdoors in this weather is not really ideal for anyone but, you won’t need to worry about giving your high-altitude plants any water because they can survive on what little rain we have received this year.

These high-altitude plants are typically shorter to minimize exposure to colder temperatures and strong winds which is especially important above the tree line where windbreaks are much further apart.

The former Chairman of the Sawtooth Botanical Garden talked about caring for these plants if they are in your own garden.

“It’s very minimal care, very little watering, no nutrients. Simple organic fertilizer will be plenty for it so it’s about the simplest to take care of. Again, a little bit of an establishing period but after that, they’re there and they live off of what nature gives them,” John Balint said.

Knowing how to care for your plants is only half the battle, deciding which ones to plant is the other half and luckily some high-altitude plants are quite easy to find in local nurseries.

“Sulfur buckwheat is really nice in terms of just a little bit of water to get it established and after that, you don’t need to do anything to it. Rocky Mountain penstemon, is readily available at most of the nurseries and it’s full native. Gaillardia is another one, beautiful blanket flower, orange and bright yellow, so there’s a lot that goes on up here,” Balint said.

If you are a more forgetful person, especially when it comes to gardening or growing plants a high-altitude one might be your perfect match as you can, for the most part, plant it and forget it.

Copyright 2024 KMVT. All rights reserved.