The tundra has a growing season of just two months each year. Even though it is nearly always cold enough to require freezing temperatures for most, the tundra biome thrives with a variety of plants.
Trees, of course, are not part of the tundra. That is part of how it received its name, tundra is derived from the Finnish word “tuntur” meaning treeless.
The winds are strong, and the most of the plants that exist on the surface of the tundra exist in clusters to form a barrier against the wind.
Though there are more than 400 types of plants that bloom on the tundra, only a few develop year-round growth. One of the challenges of attempting to grow plants on the tundra is the soil.
There is a thick layer of soil below the ice, although it almost never thaws any deeper than a few inches. Because of this, only the shallowest root systems will survive.
The fact that there is plant life, but not necessarily persistent plant life is critical to supporting the other types of life that exist in this biome.
As the plant life dies and decomposes, many of the other organisms will consume its nutrients to survive during the extended winters.
Below is a list of common tundra plants and a brief description of their properties that bottom out on growing perennially.
#1. Bearberry (Arctostaphylos).
Bearberry isn’t really about bears, but they have been found eating them. The red berries and green leaves attract the owl and birds to the tundra.
This species has adapted in such a way that it growth very low to the ground in the tundra. It is not quite a ground cover, as it does have some height, but it can really have berries on it any time of the years.
#2. Labrador Tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum).
Labrador Tea is an odd little plant with red leaves and what can only be referred to as hairy legs. It has a fine type of hair-like covering over the stems that helps it conserve heat.
It’s a low, slow-growing shrub with evergreen leaves that is used to make tea to help with colds.
This pleasant, sweet-smelling shrub requires nothing but moist acid soil to reach its maximum potential.
In addition to being pleasant, it is also used in closets to protect against moths. What is particularly unusual about this plant is that none of the animals on the tundra consume it.
#3. Diamond Leaf Willow (Salix planifolia).
The Diamond leaf is a unique type of willow that grows low to the ground. They also have a different hair-like growth covering their stems and roots which help it maintain warmth, like the Labrador.
This plant is edible and used by people and animals because of its high calcium and vitamin content. It is also a very flexible plant, which is why it grows independently and isn’t found as a group since it can bend to the harrowing winds.
#4. Arctic Moss (Calliergongiganteum).
Arctic Moss is the most abundant plant found in the tundra. While it is somewhat similar to the moss found in other biomes, it primarily grows below the surface of the water. While it does not have true root systems, it does have rhizoids.
It also has small leaves that are only one cell thick, allowing it to survive with the very limited photosynthesis it can capture.
Arctic Moss is a staple for many tundra animals and mammals with its high nutrient content and color that allows it to grow all year long.
When it dies, it becomes an important nutrient source for organisms living there. Migratory birds also feed on it during their journey through the tundra.
Scientists also study Arctic Moss due to what it tells us about the natural evolution of life to protect itself in harsh climates.
#5. Arctic Willow (Salix arctica).
Arctic willow, or rock willow, is native to the tundra of North America, which includes Northern Canada and Northern Alaska. Arctic willow grows 15-20 cm tall, has elongated trailing branches, and has a prostrate, shrub, and carpeting growth form.
#6. Caribou Moss or Reindeer moss (Cladonia rangiferina).
Caribou Moss grows in arctic and northern regions around the world. It is found on the ground and rocks and typically grows 1-4 inches high.
Its unique appearance is a representative of tundra wildlife. Although it is classified as lichen (not a plant), this peculiar beauty is also used for home and outdoor decorations, architectural models, and terrariums.
Caribou moss can go dormant when there is no light and/or water available. These plants can grow after being dormant, even for a long time.
The stems or stocks of caribou moss are hollow. There are many ways to use these mini plants as they are hardy and delicate at the same time.
#7. Tufted Saxifrage (Saxifraga cespitosa).
Tufted Saxifrage has thick stems with several straight flower stems that can reach up to 3-15 cm tall. Each stem has 2-8 flowers with five white petals, and there is a small fruit containing many small seeds.
The Tufted Saxifrage grows on rocky slopes and can be found from Alaska to the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges in northwestern Oregon.
#8. Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla).
The Pasque Flower belongs to the family Ranunculaceae, and can grow as high as 6-8 inches above the tundra. On the Pasque Flower stalk, there is a single flower with 5-8 petals, which can range in color from lavender, purple to almost white.
The Pasque Flower is typically found growing on southward facing slopes and is a common sight throughout the northwestern portion of the United States, up into northern Alaska. The Pasque Flower is also the state flower of the state of South Dakota.
There are other plants and flowers that can be found growing on the tundra that will depend on the season, and the location in which the tundra climate exists. The main plants of the tundra plants listed here are considered to be the most definitive of the tundra climate.
Variations of these plants are found in different biomes, which allows scientists to study the spread of plants life through migratory animals as well.
#9. Cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium).
This hardy, aquatic herbaceous plant is a great option for water gardens or patio water containers with even more enjoyable views of its white feathery flower, bringing sophistication and subtlety to the garden.
#10. Tussock grass (Deschampsia cespitosa).
These perennials are commonly called Tufted hairgrass. As a low-maintenance ornamental grass, it is great for erosion control and areas of severe disturbance.
It is ideal for borders and containers, due to its fine texture and aerial flowers which appear to dance in the wind.
#11. Moss campion (Silene acaulis).
The S. acaulis evergreen perennial is a cushion-forming tundra plant. Soft, star-shaped flowers create a pink tufted carpet over a flat surface. It’s especially lovely used in rock cracks, containers or stepping stones.
#12. Purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia).
Another rock-breaker, as its name suggests, (Saxifraga means “rock-breaker”), grows in barren, rocky places in all varieties of cold conditions. An evergreen cushion-forming perennial, it forms beautiful magenta to pale pink or white cup flowers.
Although the plant is not easily available, it is possible to grow in the garden in very dry sites; it can also be used in rock gardens to “break up” the rocky scene.
#13. Northern redcurrant (Ribes triste).
A flowering shrub that grows in moist, rocky woods and on cliffs and it is commonly used in mixed borders and small urban gardens as a year-round structural element.
The bright red fruits and the nice reddish color in the fall may provide a nice sense of warmth for your urban landscape. It’s edible too.
#14. Tundra rose (Potentilla fruticosa).
The tundra rose is a flowering shrub used by landscaping firms as an working plant due to its hardiness and low maintenance. It is beautiful in the wild and has a range of hardy cultivars that can be white through yellow, orange, and pink in color, small but plentiful and interesting because of its vivaciousness.
#15. Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia).
The Saskatoon berry shrub is interesting for its variety of ornamental features like lovely white flowers in spring, tasty blue berries in summer and its sensational autumn fall color of yellow and red.
The shrub is also useful for controlling erosion with its knitting rhizomes, which is not overly aggressive. It is exceptionally hardy, and grows very well on most exposed hills or rocks or streamside.
#16. Arctic poppy (Papaver radicatum).
Papaverradicatum, or Arctic poppy, rooted poppy, yellow poppy, is poppy species characterized by 10-15 cm height and a single flower per stem. The flowers heads follow the sun, and the cup-shaped petals help absorb solar energy.