Arctic Flora (1)

It’s hard to imagine much growing in the Arctic Circle, given the cold climate, biting winds, frozen ground for most of the year, and a summer barely stretching across a few short weeks.  And yet, plant life finds a way to survive and thrive by making the most of every drop of sunlight and every moment of warmth.

There are no tall trees of lush green canopies here.  Instead, the landscape is dotted with tiny wildflowers pressed close to the ground, mosses spreading like carpets over rocks, and dwarf shrubs that reach no higher than a boot.

For example, the purple saxifrage is one of the first flowers to bloom as snow melts, while the moss campion forms dense, pink cushion-like mats that act like tiny heat traps. 

Arctic poppies turn their pale yellow faces toward the sun, soaking up every drop of warmth while sharing the title with the purple saxifrage as the northernmost flowering plants. 

Then there’s boreal Jacob’s ladder with its delicate blue flowers clumped together along gravelly slopes – but mind its unpleasant odour . . . 

and Arctic bell heather with its sweet, drooping, white blossoms and pink lobes.  Surprisingly, the bell heather contains a high level of resin that burns even when wet; hence, it is used as fuel by Greenland’s Indigenous people. 

Last but not least is the oddly named woolly lousewort with its fuzzy leaves and bright pink flowers.

Despite their size, these Arctic plants are tough survivors.  They’ve evolved to bloom quickly during the short summer, when the sun barely sets, absorbing as much warmth as possible.  Their low-growing forms help them avoid the wind, and many have hairy stems or leaves that act like natural insulation.  As pretty as they are, these plants are also extremely important, helping to stabilize the soil, insulate permafrost, and feed animals like caribou and Arctic hares.