Arctic Flora
Journey through the Arctic's surprisingly colorful landscapes along some of the world's northernmost shores. In Svalbard, wildflowers, mosses and lichens flourish during the short polar summer, creating essential habitats for Arctic wildlife. Discover the resilience and beauty of the plant life that helps define the Far North.
Video Transcript
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In the Arctic, the island archipelago of Svalbard is a wonderland of rugged terrain and massive glaciers.
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Heralding the Arctic spring are hundreds of species of small flowering plants like the delicate Svalbard poppy, the national plant of Svalbard.
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It thrives in this extreme climate by using hairs on its stem to keep it warm.
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And its flower swivels to maximize sunlight during the short polar growing season.
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Variations of saxifraga grow in mats throughout Svalbard.
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The name is derived from the Latin name for stone breaker.
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These hearty plants have flowers ranging from white to pink to purple, and in the Arctic region, they've long been a food source for indigenous people due to their high vitamin C content.
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This region looked much different countless millennia ago during warmer periods.
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The fossils of ancient trees and long extinct animals speak to a time when Svalbard was subtropical and humid.
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Time and nature transformed those forests and animals into the large coal deposits that are plentiful within the archipelago.
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Svalbard is where the earth's past meets its wild present, a place few ever see and fewer truly experience.
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Explore Svalbard with Viking and discover a world shaped by ice, light, and time.
