Which plants grow in Greenland’s tundra environment?

Greenland’s tundra environment is characterized by limited vegetation due to the harsh Arctic climate and the fact that more than four-fifths of the island is covered by an ice sheet.1

The flora in these ice-free coastal areas primarily consists of:

• Grasses and Sedges: Plants such as sedge and cotton grass are common components of the landscape.1
• Lichens: These plantlike organisms are widespread across the rocky, barren terrain.1
• Dwarfed Shrubs: While the island is almost entirely devoid of trees, sheltered valleys in the south support small, scrub-like forms of birch, willow, and alder.21

In the inner fjords of southwestern Greenland, these woody shrubs can grow into more conspicuous thickets, though they remain significantly smaller than trees found in temperate climates. The distribution of these plants is heavily influenced by factors such as soil drainage, snow cover, and the availability of moisture during the short growing season.234