Greenland is a mountainous and hilly country. The nature is dominated by Arctic tundra, which lies desolate for large stretches with an almost untouched flora and fauna. Even in the towns, you don’t have to go far before you find yourself in the middle of wild Arctic nature.
Greenland’s flora ranges widely – from lush thickets and beautiful flower meadows to sparse vegetation on rocks and steppes. There are a number of different plant communities and types of nature in Greenland, each characterised by different plants and flowers.
Heath, or more precisely dwarf shrub heath, is the most widespread plant community in Greenland, which consists of various species of dwarf shrub heath such as black crowberry, bog bilberry/Arctic blueberry, dwarf birch, willow and heather. The vegetation typically reaches a height of 10-50 cm and can extend over large areas. Many flowers, fungi, mosses and lichens also live among the dwarf shrub heath.
About the author
Bo Normander has been a nature photographer and writer for more than a decade in parallel with his career as an environmental researcher and manager. Bo has previously been the Director of Worldwatch Institute Europe, the Chairman of the Danish Ecological Council, and Senior Researcher at the National Environmental Research Institute (now part of Aarhus University), from which he holds a PhD in Microbial Ecology.
What is tundra?
Tundra includes large geographical areas in the polar regions where no trees grow, but where the vegetation is low. Tundra is a so-called biome that covers many different plant communities, but where the common feature is cold temperatures, which together with a relatively short growing season prevent tree growth. In other words, exactly what you find in Greenland.
Photo by Peter Lindstrom – Visit Greenland
Which plant communities are found in Greenland?
Dwarf shrub heath is the most widespread plant community, and there are also quite a few others such as moorland, bog, grassland and steppe. Moorland is characterised by scattered and open plant growth, often on rocky terrain or wind-swept parts of the mountain, where a coherent vegetation cannot be established.
Photo by Lina Stock – Visit Greenland
Is there a desert in Greenland?
Yes. In northern Greenland there are areas that have extremely low rainfall, or where the bit of snow that falls quickly blows away or evaporates. This creates Arctic desert, where there are virtually no plants, apart from a few grasses, lichens and mosses.
Arctic desert is known especially from areas in Peary Land, where the rainfall is less than in the Sahara. Some of the steppe areas inland at Kangerlussuaq are also so dry that they resemble Arctic desert.
Photo by Mads Pihl / Air Zafari – Visit Greenland
How many plants are there in Greenland?
There are more than 520 native plant species in Greenland. Furthermore, there are around 200 imported species from abroad, such as lupine, Iceland poppy and European dandelion species.
Photo by Mads Pihl – Visit Greenland
TREES AND SHRUBS IN GREENLAND
List of trees and shrubs in Greenland
Grey Willow
- Greenlandic name: Orpigaq
- Scientific name: Salix glauca
- Height: 10-300 cm
- Distribution: Common throughout Greenland except the far north
The grey willow is the largest of Greenland’s five different willow species. It is seen in many places in the terrain, where it can grow sporadically or form dense thickets. Under the right conditions, grey willow can grow to a height of 2-3 metres and form a forest-like thicket that is difficult to penetrate.
Grey willow leaves are bluish-green with a dense hairiness, mostly on the underside, which can give them a silvery-grey tinge.
Male and female catkins are found on each plant. Pollen from the yellow anthers of the flowering male catkins is spread by insects to the female catkins in June. When mature, the female catkins are up to 5 cm long with greenish to yellow-brown capsules with many seeds inside. In early autumn, the seeds are released, which are hairy so that they are more easily dispersed by the wind.
Photo by Bo Normander
Arctic Willow
- Greenlandic name: Issittup orpigaa
- Scientific name: Salix arctica
- Height: 5-20 cm
- Distribution: Common in northern Greenland south to Sisimiut on the west coast and Blosseville Coast on the east coast respectively
Arctic willow does not grow very tall, but grows as a creeping, low shrub with rooting branches. The leaves have long, white hairs on the underside, which may fall off over time.
The male catkins bloom in June-July and first have red then yellow anthers.
Arctic willow can be distinguished from low individuals of grey willow by the fact that it has rooting branches. In addition, there are northern willows, Swiss willows and bearberry willows in Greenland, which, like Arctic willows, grow low and creeping. It can be difficult to separate the different willow species from each other, which is made difficult by the fact that the species can cross with each other.
Photo by Bo Normander
Mountain birch
- Greenlandic name: Avaalaqiakulooq
- Scientific name: Betula pubescens
- Height: Up to 8-10 metres
- Distribution: Common inland in South and Southwest Greenland north to Græde Fjord (south of Nuuk)
Mountain birch is Greenland’s absolute tallest tree. It can grow 4-5 metres tall, and in rare cases, close to 10 metres. The trees grow with thick and crooked trunks and can form dense stands, which in a few valleys in South Greenland such as in Qinngua Valley and Klosterdalen by Tasermiut Fjord, have the character of “real” forest.
Mountain birch leaves are egg-shaped (10-35 mm long) with forward pointing teeth on the edge. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow.
Photo by Bo Normander
Dwarf birch
- Greenlandic name: Avaalaqiaq
- Scientific name: Betula nana
- Height: 10-40 cm
- Distribution: Common in West Greenland between Paamiut and Upernavik and in East Greenland north to Dove Bay
Dwarf birch is a creeping or upright shrub that is very common on the Greenland heath and moorland. The leaves are almost circular with rounded teeth on the edge (5‑15 mm long).
Male and female catkins are found on the same plant. In May-June, pollen is spread by the wind from the greenish-yellow male catkins to the slightly larger, reddish female catkins, which form a fruit stand densely studded with small, winged nuts.
In autumn, the leaves turn red, giving the landscape a very characteristic reddish look for this time of year.
In South Greenland there is also the resin birch, which looks a lot like dwarf birch, but can be recognised by the many white resin glands on the twigs, and the leaves are also slightly larger.
Photo by Bo Normander
Alpine Juniper
- Greenlandic name: Kakillarnaq, paarnaqulluk
- Scientific name: Juniperus communis ssp. Alpina
- Height: 20-100 cm
- Distribution: Southern Greenland to the north to Disko Bay and Tasiilaq
Alpine juniper is the only conifer that is native to Greenland. It rarely grows very tall, but mostly grows as a bush with metre-long, creeping branches with blue-green, prickly needles on the branches.
There is a difference between male and female plants. The male plants have many small, yellow flowers, while the female plants have some berry-like cones. These cones are called juniper berries. At first they are green and after a year and a half of ripening they turn blue. The ripe juniper berries can be dried and crushed and used as a spice, for example, with meat dishes and in gin and beer.
Alpine juniper are found in thickets and dry heaths. It grows very slowly and can be over 200 years old.
Photo by Bo Normander
FLOWERS IN GREENLAND
List of flowers in Greenland
Broad-leaved Willowherb
- Greenlandic name: Niviarsiaq
- Scientific name: Epilobium latifolium
- Height: 5-30 cm
- Blooms: July-August
- Distribution: Found throughout Greenland
With its striking, red-violet flowers, broad-leaved willowherb is considered Greenland’s national flower. Up to 14 flowers sit on each stem, and each flower is 3‑5 cm wide with four red-violet petals and four narrow, slightly darker sepals. In rare cases, there are white flowers.
The leaves, shoots, flowers and fruit are edible and are particularly good in salads or cooked as “spinach”.
Broad-leaved willowherb is often seen on gravel/rocky bottoms, in dry heaths and old riverbeds.
Commonly distributed in southern Greenland, there is also the narrow-leaved willowherb, known for its smaller flowers, taller growth and far more flowers on each stem.
Photo by Bo Normander
Common Harebell
- Greenlandic name: Tikiusaaq
- Scientific name: Campanula rotundifolia ssp. gieseckiana
- Height: 10-40 cm
- Blooms: July-August (September)
- Distribution: Large parts of Greenland, but not north of Upernavik
A very characteristic flower with the 2-3 cm blue-violet bells that sit on long stems. It grows in many places in the country on heaths, moorland and grasslands.
Both flowers and leaves are tasty and garnish a salad nicely.
There is another bellflower in Greenland, which is called the Arctic bellflower that is known for its smaller and deeper blue flowers.
Photo by Bo Normander
Red Alpine Campion
- Greenlandic name: Tunguarnitsoq
- Scientific name: Silene suecica
- Height: 10-20 cm
- Blooms: June-August
- Distribution: Southern Greenland to the north to Upernavik on the west coast and King Oscar Fjord on the east coast respectively
Red Alpine campion is a beautiful and slender flower that has a dense stand of pink to red-violet flowers. It often grows in small tufts and is seen scattered in many habitat types such as heaths, thickets, herb slopes and rock crevices.
Photo by Bo Normander
Moss campion
- Greenlandic name: Aappaluttuaqqat
- Scientific name: Silene acaulis
- Height: 2-5 cm
- Blooms: June-August
- Distribution: Common throughout Greenland
Moss campion is a very low plant that grows in dense clumps with many small pink to pale violet flowers. The cushions are often circular and can easily be 40‑50 cm in diameter. Moss campion can be very old, and in Canada, they have been measured to reach an age of over 250 years.
Moss campion is typically seen on sandy and gravelly bottoms in moorland and heaths.
Photo by Bo Normander
Arctic Poppy
- Greenlandic name: Sungaartorsuaq
- Scientific name: Papaver radicatum
- Height: 10-30 cm
- Blooms: June-July
- Distribution: Found in moorland throughout Greenland, in the south, however, mostly in the highlands
From the rosette of the mountain poppy, tall, leafless, hairy stems emerge, each bearing a beautiful, yellowish flower with four petals. Its colour can vary from pale yellow to yellow-green, and rarely white.
After flowering, the poppy has a large, hairy capsule with many seeds inside, which are commonly used in baked goods.
Greenland’s poppies have recently been divided into four species, which, however, require expert knowledge to be able to tell them apart. In towns, there are often imported poppy species from abroad such as the yellow-orange Iceland poppy.
Photo by Bo Normander
Purple Saxifrage
- Greenlandic name: Kakillallit
- Scientific name: Saxifraga oppositifolia
- Height: 2-5 cm
- Blooms: Often early (May-June), but also right up to August
- Distribution: Common throughout Greenland
Purple saxifrage is a low, cushion-shaped plant with many small purplish-red, funnel-shaped flowers. It is seen in moorland, rock crevices and snow beds and often as a pioneer species on gravel and moist clay.
The flower has been designated as the national flower of Nunavut in northern Canada.
Photo by Bo Normander
Meadow Buttercup
- Greenlandic name: Sungaartuaraq killavaartoq
- Scientific name: Ranunculus acris
- Height: 20-60 cm
- Blooms: June-July
- Distribution: Common in South Greenland, as well as sporadically north to Sisimiut and Tasiilaq
The yellow flower is 20-25 mm wide with five petals and five greenish sepals, and there can be up to 15 flowers on each stem.
The meadow buttercup can form beautiful and dense flower coverings. It is found on herb slopes, grasslands and willow thickets and also thrives in fertilised soil such as on sheep farms and in towns.
There are 14 buttercup species in Greenland. The snow buttercup is smaller and grows in wet moss and moist snow beds. The glacier buttercup is the only one with white flowers and is only found in East Greenland.
Photo by Bo Normander
Alpine Arnica
- Greenlandic name: Sungorsiusaq
- Scientific name: Arnica angustifolia
- Height: 10-40 cm
- Blooms: July-August
- Distribution: Missing in South Greenland (south of Paamiut), but otherwise found throughout Greenland
Alpine arnica is a beautiful and eye-catching flower with its 4‑6 cm yellow flower baskets, which sit individually on tall stems. Each flower petal (corolla) is tongue-shaped with a three-toothed tip.
It is occasionally found on grassy heaths, thickets and herb slopes, in some places in large numbers.
Photo by Bo Normander
Hawkweed
- Greenlandic name: Inneruulap aappaa
- Scientific name: Hieracium spp.
- Height: 10-80 cm
- Blooms: June-September
- Distribution: All of Greenland except the very north
Hawkweed’s eye-catching, yellow flowers may resemble dandelions, but the two can be told apart by their different stems and leaves. Hawkweed has a rather tall, often branched and hard stem, while dandelion has hollow, unbranched stems, filled with milky sap.
In Greenland, there are at least 18 species of hawkweed that are difficult to distinguish from each other. Several of the species are only found in Greenland.
Hawkweed is found in many types of plant communities such as thickets, heaths and herb slopes. Like dandelions, hawkweed has a fruit that, botanically, is a small nut with a “parachute” of long hairs that allows it to be dispersed by the wind.
Photo by Bo Normander
Lapland Rosebay
- Greenlandic name: Oqaasaq
- Scientific name: Rhododendron lapponicum
- Height: 10-25 cm
- Blooms: June (rarely July)
- Distribution: Most of Greenland except the very north
Lapland rosebay is an evergreen dwarf shrub in the rhododendron genus. It has large, red-violet, fragrant flowers (15-20 mm) and the leaves are leathery and oval with rust-brown hairs on the underside. It thrives best in mossy heaths and bog areas, but can also be seen where it is drier.
Photo by Bo Normander
Blue Heath/Mountain Heath
- Greenlandic name: Paarmaqutikuluut
- Scientific name: Phyllodoce coerulea
- Height: 5-20 cm
- Blooms: June-July
- Distribution: Large parts of Greenland, but not north of Upernavik in West Greenland and north of King Oscar Fjord in East Greenland
Blue heath/mountain heath is an evergreen dwarf shrub with many light purple flowers that are shaped like a bell. The leaves are needle-shaped and slightly chubby, and can therefore be reminiscent of the black crowberry. However, the latter is quickly recognised by the black berries.
Blue heath/mountain heath grows best where there is a thick snow cover in winter, which protects it from hard frost.
Photo by Bo Normander
Northern Green Orchid/Green-flowered Bog Orchid
- Greenlandic name: Asiarpak
- Scientific name: Platanthera hyperborea
- Height: 10-30 cm
- Blooms: June-July
- Distribution: Southern Greenland north to Sisimiut on the west coast and Blosseville Coast on the east coast, as well as at hot springs at Disko
The northern green orchid/green-flowered bog orchid has a long spike of small, greenish flowers (6‑10 mm). The middle petal of the flower is a tongue-shaped lip, while the other two petals and one sepal form a hood, and the last two sepals are directed to the sides.
It grows scattered on herb slopes and willow thickets and emits a faint scent of lily of the valley. It can be confused with another orchid, the white mountain orchid, but the flowers are different and have different scents. There are a total of five orchid species in Greenland.
Photo by Bo Normander
White Cottongrass
- Greenlandic name: Ukaliusaq
- Scientific name: Eriophorum scheuchzeri
- Height: 10-35 cm
- Distribution: All of Greenland
White cottongrass is a grassy plant with a large tuft of 3‑5 cm long white woolly hairs on each stem.
Each wool hair is attached to a very small nut (fruit), and the hairs make the nut easily dispersed by the wind. In the spring (April-May), the white cottongrass has some very small flowers, which during June-August develop into the mature and hairy fruits (wool tufts).
If you spot a cottongrass, your shoes are almost certainly wet, as it grows on moist ground in marshes and near lakes, ponds and streams.
White cottongrass is the most widespread of Greenland’s five cottongrass species. Narrow-leaved cottongrass and dark cottongrass are distinguished by the fact that they have 2-4 tufts of wool on each stem, while white cottongrass has only one.
Photo by Bo Normander
EDIBLE PLANTS
List of edible plants and berries in Greenland
Black Crowberry (blackberry)
- Greenlandic name: Paarnaqutit
- Scientific name: Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum
- Height: 3-20 cm
- Blooms: May-June
- Fruits: July-August
- Distribution: The whole of Greenland except the very north
The black crowberry is an evergreen dwarf shrub with tight, needle-shaped leaves. During the summer, it bears black, round stone fruits known as blackberries.
Blackberries are tasty, sweet and slightly bitter. They can be picked after the first night frost has set in, as the frost can give the berries more sweetness.
Blackberries are rich in vitamins and can be eaten as they are or used in jam, desserts, salads, juice, etc. They are also good for making schnapps.
The black crowberry is a very common plant on the Greenland dwarf shrub heath. Many birds, such as ptarmigan, feed on the berries all year round, even when the berries have to be dug out from the snow.
Photo by Bo Normander
Bog bilberry (“blueberry”)
- Greenlandic name: Kigutaarnat naggui
- Scientific name: Vaccinium uliginosum
- Height: 5-40 cm
- Blooms: May-June
- Fruits: July-August
- Distribution: The whole of Greenland except the very north
The bog bilberry/Arctic blueberry is a branchy, deciduous dwarf shrub. In the spring, it produces small, pink, barrel-shaped flowers, which during the summer develop into a blue-dappled berry that is juicy and tasty. It tastes almost like blueberries, and is therefore also called Greenlandic blueberry or simply blueberry.
However, the “real” blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is only found in two places in Greenland, namely an area south of Ivittuut and an isolated area in Southeast Greenland. The bog bilberry/Arctic blueberry has white pulp, while blueberries are blue-violet.
Bog bilberries/Arctic blueberries can be used for all sorts of purposes in the same way as blueberries, including for jam, juice, desserts and cakes.
In contrast to blackberries, the berries of the bog bilberry/Arctic blueberry perish in autumn. Therefore, it is best to pick them in July-August.
Bog bilberry/Arctic blueberry are found all around in heaths and bogs, often together with black crowberry (blackberry).
Photo by Bo Normander
Angelica
- Greenlandic name: Kuanneq
- Scientific name: Angelica archangelica ssp. archangelica
- Height: 100-200 cm
- Blooms: July-August
- Distribution: Found in southern Greenland north to Disko Island and Tasiilaq
The large umbel plant, angelica, is probably Greenland’s most used wild-growing vegetable. All parts are edible. It has a slightly perfumed taste, especially the stem, and can be used for many purposes such as in salads, soups, jams, as flavouring for water, as a spice and for schnapps.
Angelica grows in moist and sunny places, including along streams and brooks, on herb slopes, lush thickets and near hot springs.
Photo by Bo Normander
Golden/Arctic root
- Greenlandic name: Tullerrunnaq, pakalak
- Scientific name: Rhodiola rosea
- Height: 10-30 cm
- Blooms: June-July
- Distribution: Common in southern Greenland, north to Disko Bay on the west coast and the National Park on the east coast
Golden/Arctic root is a succulent with large, umbel-shaped, yellow inflorescences and thick, fleshy, bluish leaves. The leaves, flower and the rose-scented stem are tasty. They are rich in vitamin C and can be eaten raw or cooked.
The plant grows on, among other places, herb slopes, lush heaths and in rock crevices.
Photo by Bo Normander
Bog Labrador Tea
- Greenlandic name: Qajaasaq
- Scientific name: Rhododendron groenlandicum
- Height: 15-60 cm
- Blooms: June-July
- Distribution: Common in South Greenland and along the west coast up to Disko Bay
Bog Labrador tea is an evergreen dwarf shrub that, like Lapland rosebay, belongs to the rhododendron genus. It blooms with up to 30 white flowers in a umbel. It is closely related to bog Labrador tea, which has narrower leaves, but which is only found from Paamiut and northwards.
Bog Labrador tea has a strong aromatic scent, which you cannot help but notice when walking in the countryside. The leaves can be dried and used both as a spice and to make tea, preferably together with other herbs, as bog Labrador tea has a strong taste.
Photo by Bo Normander
Creeping/wild thyme
- Greenlandic name: Tupaarnaq
- Scientific name: Thymus praecox
- Height: 3-6 cm
- Blooms: June-July
- Distribution: Southern Greenland to the north to Sisimiut on the west coast and Tasiilaq on the east coast
Creeping/wild thyme is a low, evergreen plant with many small, purple flowers clustered in heads, and dense, oval leaves.
Both the leaves and flowers can be used as a spice for many kinds of dishes – from soups to pizza and game. Thyme can be used both fresh and dried and can also be used for herbal tea.
It grows on dry ground in heaths, thickets and on rocks, and in some places can form a carpet via the rooting stems.
Photo by Bo Normander
Dandelion
- Greenlandic name: Innerruulaq, seqiniusaaq
- Scientific name: Taraxacum spp.
- Height: 5-40 cm
- Blooms: May-September
- Distribution: Common everywhere in Greenland
The dandelion can be recognised by the eye-catching, yellow flower baskets, which sit individually on a hollow stem with milky sap inside.
At the base, the dandelion has a leaf rosette of incised, juicy leaves. The leaves are rich in vitamins and iron, and young leaves can be used in salads and soups. The milky juice can be applied to the skin, where it has a soothing effect against mosquito bites.
There are more than 25 species of dandelion in Greenland that are difficult to tell apart. Added to this are introduced species. The Arctic dandelion, found in northeastern Greenland, has white flowers.
Dandelions grow in many types of plant communities such as moorland, thickets, herb beds and in cultivated areas and in towns. Each species has its distribution.
Dandelions have a fruit in the form of a small nut with a “parachute” of long hairs that is dispersed by the wind or when you blow on it.
In Greenland, the dandelion is called inneruulaq (fire-like) or seqiniusaaq (sun-like).
Photo by Bo Normander
USEFUL INFORMATION
It is recommended to acquire a good guidebook to be able to study Greenland’s flora closely. Information on the Internet about Greenland’s flora is scarce and not particularly up-to-date. A book can be used before going on a trip in the countryside, and also while you are out in the mountains, where there is often no mobile signal.
These guidebooks can be recommended:
‘Nature Guide Greenland’ by Bo Normander. Gyldendal (2022). Comprehensive guide with the latest knowledge about Greenland’s nature, including a field guide with more than 550 species of animals, plants, fungi, etc.
‘Greenland’s wild plants’ by Flemming Rune. Gyldenlund (2011). Complete field guide of around 500 plant species, including 270 species with photos.
‘Greenlandic plants for body and soul’ by Kirsten Jespersen & Lissi Olsen. Milik Publishing (2018). About the use of wild plants for food, drink and health, including various recipes.
‘Greenland’s small miracles’ by Gitte Linck Ottosen. Arctic Sun (2018). A guidebook of 50 Greenlandic flowers.
Shop Local, Taste Greenland
Take Home Greenland’s Purest Gifts
Photo by Peter Lindstrom – Visit Greenland
Explore Authentic Souvenirs in Greenland:
Ulu Care: Experience the essence of organic Greenlandic beauty with homemade skincare range. Crafted with local herbs, Ulu care’s line includes not only skincare products but also herbal salt and organic herbal teas.
http://ulu.care/eng/andre/andre-eng.htm
Kvann Kompagniet: A micro culinary company using wild herbs from Greenland, Iceland, and beyond to create delicacies. Find more products on their webshop.
https://www.kvann.dk/?lang=en
You can also find the above-mentioned products in souvenir shops scattered throughout Greenland.
