PlantsMap

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10 plants worth knowing

Sweden

Forests cover nearly 70% of Sweden – one of the most heavily forested countries in Europe, dominated by spruce and pine, with bilberries, mosses and lichens growing beneath their canopy. In the south, in Skåne, the landscape resembles Denmark: farmland and beechwoods, while the limestone islands of Öland and Gotland have unique alvar grasslands full of orchids. In the north and in the Scandinavian Mountains the forests give way to birch scrub and mountain tundra.

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

where it grows

  1. Harebell 1

    flower · National flower of Sweden (chosen by public vote in 2021)

    Harebell

    Campanula rotundifolia

    A delicate blue bellflower that blooms on dry meadows all over Sweden – in 2021 Swedes chose it as their national flower.
  2. Twinflower 2

    dwarf shrub · Carl Linnaeus’s favourite plant; provincial flower of Småland

    Twinflower

    Linnaea borealis

    Carl Linnaeus’s favourite flower – a plant named after him, with which the great botanist himself posed for his portraits.
  3. Norway spruce 3

    tree

    Norway spruce

    Picea abies

    Old Tjikko grows in the Swedish mountains – a spruce whose root system is about 9,500 years old.
  4. Lingonberry 4

    dwarf shrub

    Lingonberry

    Vaccinium vitis-idaea

    Lingonberry jam served with meatballs is a Swedish classic that IKEA has made famous around the world.
  5. Snake’s head fritillary 5

    flower · Provincial flower of Uppland

    Snake’s head fritillary

    Fritillaria meleagris

    In May the Kungsängen meadow in Uppsala is covered with thousands of chequered flowers – a spring celebration for the whole city.
  6. Scots pine 6

    tree

    Scots pine

    Pinus sylvestris

    Pine and spruce are the two pillars of the Swedish forest – pine tar was once one of Sweden’s most important exports.
  7. Silver birch 7

    tree

    Silver birch

    Betula pendula

    Birch twigs with coloured feathers are the Easter påskris, and fresh birch leaves decorate homes and the maypole at Midsummer.
  8. Bilberry 8

    dwarf shrub

    Bilberry

    Vaccinium myrtillus

    Blåbär is Sweden’s most popular wild fruit – thanks to allemansrätten anyone can pick berries in forests all over the country.
  9. Pedunculate oak 9

    tree

    Pedunculate oak

    Quercus robur

    About 300,000 oaks were planted on Visingsö in the 19th century for warships – by the time they matured, the navy had long been building in steel.
  10. Cloudberry 10

    herbaceous plant

    Cloudberry

    Rubus chamaemorus

    “The gold of the north” – hjortron from Norrland’s bogs is served with ice cream, waffles and ostkaka cheesecake in festive Swedish desserts.