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10 plants worth knowing

Norway

Norway stretches for more than 1,700 km along the Atlantic, from the mild coast of the south to Arctic Finnmark and Svalbard. The east of the country has vast spruce and pine forests, while in the west the humid fjord coast is clothed in birch, heathland and lush slopes, above which rise the plateaus of the fjell with mountain tundra. Thanks to the warm North Atlantic Current, even apples and cherries ripen in sheltered fjords, although they lie at the latitude of Greenland and Alaska.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Pyramidal saxifrage 1

    perennial · National flower of Norway (chosen in 1935)

    Pyramidal saxifrage

    Saxifraga cotyledon

    The “lady of the mountains” hangs in white cascades of flowers from the cliffs above the fjords – in 1935 botanists chose it as Norway’s national flower.
  2. Heather 2

    dwarf shrub · National flower of Norway (chosen in 1976)

    Heather

    Calluna vulgaris

    In 1976 listeners of NRK radio voted heather the national flower – it is the constant companion of every Norwegian hike.
  3. Norway spruce 3

    tree

    Norway spruce

    Picea abies

    Every year Oslo gives London a Norwegian spruce, which stands as the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square – a thank-you for help during the war.
  4. Downy birch 4

    tree

    Downy birch

    Betula pubescens

    Twisted mountain birches mark the treeline in Norway – above them there is nothing but bare fjell.
  5. Apple 5

    crop

    Apple

    Malus domestica

    In May the shores of the Hardangerfjord turn white with apple blossom – the fjordside orchards are one of the loveliest sights in Norway.
  6. Scots pine 6

    tree

    Scots pine

    Pinus sylvestris

    Norway’s medieval stave churches, which have survived more than eight centuries, were built from the heartwood of slow-growing pines.
  7. Cloudberry 7

    herbaceous plant

    Cloudberry

    Rubus chamaemorus

    Multekrem – cloudberries with whipped cream – is a classic Norwegian Christmas dessert, and the amber berries are the most prized crop of mountain bogs.
  8. Bilberry 8

    dwarf shrub

    Bilberry

    Vaccinium myrtillus

    The commonest dwarf shrub of Norwegian forests – blåbær is picked in late summer from Sørlandet to Finnmark, and bilberry pies and jams taste of summer.
  9. Rowan 9

    tree

    Rowan

    Sorbus aucuparia

    According to the Edda, a rowan saved Thor’s life when a swollen river swept him away – in Norway it was believed to protect the home from evil.
  10. Garden angelica 10

    perennial

    Garden angelica

    Angelica archangelica

    Kvann is one of Norway’s oldest useful plants – in the Middle Ages its stems were eaten as a vegetable, and angelica gardens were protected by law.