King’s Crown (Saxifraga longifolia), also called Altamira herb, grows in the Pyrenees and flowers only once in a lifetime. It typically thrives in rock crevices at high elevations between 500 and 2,500 meters. The Latin name reflects this rocky habitat, meaning break the stone. Blooming occurs from May to August, and after a single flower it withers. Though considered dangerous and historically linked to abortive properties, shepherds have used it in difficult cattle births.
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Plant that blooms only once in a lifetime
This King’s Crown blossoms only once during a life. It can reach up to 80 cm in height. The flowers are sticky and act as excellent bait for insects. This remarkable blooming spectacle happens only one time in a lifetime, and the plant then enters its final phase.
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King’s Crown expends its energy on blooming, lifting the stem with its flowers as high as possible. By late summer the blossoms fade, the stem twists, and the plant dies. When the trunk tilts, the wind can move the plant to a new crevice, where seeds may take root if conditions allow.
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At the end of its life, the plant leaves the rock that hosted it and clears space for new growth to emerge nearby.
Some plants grow in the cracks of rocks
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King’s crown, the plant is as dangerous as it is beautiful
This plant is noted for its size and history of toxicity and abortive properties. It remains dangerous in some rural areas and, historically, was used in veterinary medicine for difficult calving of cattle.
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King’s Crown is a rare and striking wild plant that adds a magical touch to rocky landscapes where it grows. In the Pyrenees of Aragon it is known as Coda de Borrega. It is never found on open ground and only thrives in rock fissures. The developmental conditions are so precise that it blooms only once in a lifetime, investing all its strength in that moment before dying and scattering seeds to allow a nearby plant to emerge if conditions permit.