Plants in Polar Climate
Polar climate or Artic tundra is located on latitudes between 50 and 70 degrees north. The land that usually in there is treeless and frozen below three feet down. The temperature is very cold and dark because in the region, the night last for weeks and the temperature can be up to -98 degree Fahrenheit and the average of the temperature is about -30 degree Fahrenheit. During the summer, the sun shines all day with the temperature about 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Which there’s possibility for a plant to grow in that area? Because of harsh and cold condition, there’s barely support for plants to grow. Even there are some existed plants, there are only some plants lived in there such as mosses, algae, and more. Compared to other country, there are only 1400 existed species of plants with 400 flowers grown. Here’s are some plants grows in polar area :

Artic Willow

Genus: Salix
Species:  Artica
Salix Arctica is 15-20 cm in height. It has many different shapes, but sometimes has long trailing branches that root where they touch the surface. Rock willows/Arctic willows grow prostrate, shrub, and carpet. The leaves are oval shaped with pointed tips, wedge shaped bottoms, and have little stalks. These leaves are 15-50 mm in length. The leaves are dark green on the bottom and a lighter green on the top. They have net like veins and long hairs that cover their leaves. The flowers of the Salix arctica are upright scaly spikes that are unisexual flowers with no petals. The Salix arctica blooms in the spring. They are 5 cm and are dark brown or sparkling pink. There's no fruit on the plant, only seeds. There are no taproots on this plant. The lateral roots are shallow due to the frozen ground underneath the permafrost.
Salix arctica has made many adaptations to the cold climate of the North American tundra. In its strongest growth season the Salix arctica forms a pesticide to keep insects like the Arctic woolly bear away. It has also adapted to the permafrost by growing a shallow root system. The leaves of the Salix arctica have also adapted to the cold weather by growing long fuzzy hairs.

Artic Poppy

This flowers can grow up to 25 cm and similar to sunflowers. This plan name has heliotropic meaning in which it turns its face facing the sunlight so that the insects attracted to the center of the flowers. It has two different color such as white and yellow.  This type of plants is rare to find and very and uncommon globally. This plant can be found in Artic areas. It is most common in Canada or Nunavut. But, to find these plants, you have to go to high places in mountains or rocky high plains because the stone absorb light from the sun and provide moist shelter for the roots. This plant can be also found in dry rivers.
Don’t get it wrong just because it is a beautiful plant doesn’t mean that it is safe. The poisons were spread to our body when the plant was ingested. But don’t worry, the poisons contains from the plants is low. So, it doesn’t take big effect to our body.

Bearberry

Genus: Arctostaphylos
Species: uva-ursi
Bearberry has five petals which is white and pale pink and blooms between May and June.  This plant was covered with silky hair to protect the plants and to make it warms.  From the name, it’s obvious that these plants are the bear’s favorite foods.  The leaves of the plants used to make herbal medicines. Bearberry usually grows in non – nutrient soils such as soils, sands, etc. There are many places which Bearberries s is available such as in Alaska, Greenland, Iceland. Not only in polar area, there are some countries such as Northern California, Northern Eurasia, etc.
Not just bear foods, this plan also very useful for us to use. Each of the part of the plan has its own function. The fruits were safe to eat and cooked with another food. While the roots of the plan usually used for make a tea which able to slowly cure coughs. While the leaf are used to added into the tobacco. Tea which made from leaves, were able to cure bladders problem and some diseases.

Artic Moss

Genus: Calliergon
Species: Giganteum
If you want to compare an animal to this plan, it would be a turtle.
These plans grow in a harsh environment of tundra which is located between Artic circles and grows in freshwater artic lakes and in fens.
This plan growing very slowly and grow only 1 cm per year and only have tiny leaves, and usually only one cell thick. They do not have flowers. This plant even holds as slowest growing, lived long freshwater macrophytes ever recorded.  Some causes of these long-lived plants are the result of short growing seasons. They adapted themselves by storing nutrient.  This plan can adapt with their surroundings, they store nutrients which later leaves will be produced. Because this plant can grow underwater, they’re protected from winds, dry air, and frozen tundra.
There are some uses of Artic Moss: The leaves was used to warmth the grounds to allow plants to grow

 Saxifrage

Genus: Saxifrage
Species:  Saxifraga
Saxifrage comes from the Latin word “rock breaker”.
These plants are small plants which grow in thick mass of tundra. The stem of the plants is straight and grows between 3 cm - 15 cm. The leaves of the plants were gathered in that area which the flowers grow and grow between 3 cm-5 cm. The flowers exactly look like star which have five sides. In other word, the flower has five petals. Surprisingly, despite its small size, it can hold many small seeds.
The saxifrage likes cool weather because there are well-developed root underground which able to respond quickly to the cool weather of tundra.  This plan can be found in rocky slopes of cold weathered places, Alaska to Olympic Mountains, and Northwest Oregon.
Yr: 2000