Discovering Pinguicula vulgaris in the Wild: A Family Hike Near Tromsø, Norway

A Tougher Trail Than We Expected

We set out that morning for what we thought would be an easy family hike: my wife Alice, our 6 month old son Luca, and me. It turned out to be more of a challenge than we expected. The trail climbed through alpine tundra, over rocks, and along cliffs where we had to watch every step. Luca slept in the carrier on my chest for most of it, and Alice, steady and cheerful as always, kept us on track.

A Flash of Violet

After a couple of hours, legs tired and thinking about lunch, we started looping back toward the parking area. Just off the trail we passed a small, still pond edged with moss and cotton grass. We stopped to take it in, and something low near the water caught my eye: a flash of violet.

There they were, Pinguicula vulgaris, tucked into a damp hollow a few steps from the pond. Purple flowers stood up above rosettes of sticky, pale green leaves that glistened in the light. Carnivorous, beautiful, and easy to walk right past if you aren't looking.

A Little Reward

It felt like a little reward at the end of the hike. I crouched down for a closer look and waved Alice over. Luca was just waking up, blinking in the light. We showed him the flowers, even though he won't remember them. I will. The still pond, the good kind of tired in my legs, and the three of us together at the edge of the wild.

Up in the same part of Norway, I also went hunting for something much harder to find. Read about my search for Pinguicula villosa.