How do plants grow in the polar region?

They are not plants. Photos courtesy of Trapac and brewbooks via Flickr. Despite cold temperatures, permafrost, and short growing seasons, vascular and nonvascular plants, algae, fungi, and lichens are found in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. read more

Several types of plants grow in the Arctic and Antarctic regions of the world, including the Arctic willow, Antarctic pearlwort, pasque flower and bearberry. Generally, polar plants are small and grow low to the ground. read more

Plants have also adapted to the long winters and short, intense polar summers. Many Arctic species can grow under a layer of snow, and virtually all polar plants are able to photosynthesize in extremely cold temperatures. During the short polar summer, plants use the long hours of sunlight to quickly develop and produce flowers and seeds. read more

Additionally, these plants exhibit such traits as tightly packed stems and roots for water retention, since unfrozen water is extremely scarce. Most bryophytes growing in the Arctic and Antarctic regions live underneath a snow cover, which protects them from windblown ice and sand and the extreme cold. read more