Icelandic Flora – Small and Hardy
Iceland has a short growing season and so Icelandic flora is limited to smaller hardy plants that can survive the harsh climate and poor soil conditions. However, during the late spring and summer months it has an abundance of daylight that can make up for the long winter months. This gives plenty of time for grass to grow and giving up to 3 cuttings that are bailed and kept for to feed the animals through the long cold winters. Many of the other plants I will focus on are common to Northern Europe. (Plant named in common English, Latin, Icelandic)
Today there are few forested areas in Iceland, but that was not always the case. Once the settlers came, they needed wood, along with climatic changes and volcanic activity over the last 1000 years, the trees largely vanished in large numbers. This left poor soil quality, land exposed to the elements and it has been difficult to regrow forests. However, attempts are being made to grow more trees where appropriate such as this area, Kerengi, near Borg in the south west of Iceland.
It was in 1945 that, in an attempt to revegetate barren parts of Iceland, a man named Hákon Bjarnson brought back some seeds from a trip to Alaska. Thinking that anything that could grow there would be suitable of Iceland, he planted the first Alaskan Lupins, Lupinus nootkatensis. He was right about that, although controversy has persisted as to the benefits of this plant. It proved to be very invasive, although it has helped to establish better soil and provide shelter for other plants to get established. But also they are very pretty.
In mid summer there are some of the many wildflowers you would see in Northern Europe. Below we see the Meadow Buttercup, Ranunculus acris or Brennisóley. Here seen growing along the Dynjandi river intertwined with Lady Smock, Cardamine nymanii or Hrafnaklukka.
Wild Thyme, Thymus praecox ssp. Articus, Blóðberg, adds a colourful note against the charcoal grey volcanic gravel. It grows in sandy, gravelly areas and is aromatic although not as good as a herb as cultivated Thyme.
Annual Stonecrop, Sedum annuum, Skrðuhnoðri, provides some ground cover on the flimsy soil covering the volcanic rocks.
Growing just a little taller is the Woolly Willow, Salix lanata, Loðvíðir, with its furry silvery leaves. Evidently, this shrub grows all over Iceland in both highland and lowlands.
A striking contrast to the bright green Dwarf Birch, Betula nana, Fjalldrapi, is the purple of the Velvetbells, Bartsia alpine, Smjörgras.
A plant we are very used to seeing in the coastal areas of the UK is Sea Thrift, Armeria maritima, Geldingahnappur. This plant will grow in poor soil with stony ground as well as being salt tolerant making an ideal plant that will thrive in many areas of the world.
As with the Lupins, when a particular flora likes the conditions it often has little competition and so you see an expanse of that plant. Here we see a display of Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata, Spánarkerfill. From the same family as Celery, not only is it very attractive but useful as a herb.
Lastly, the Northern Dock, Rumex longifolius, Njóli, a very common sight across Northern Europe and beyond. Dock leaves are long thought to ease the pain of the Stinging Nettle, but if it does then all well and good. It is probably due to the search for one taking your mind of the painful sting.
So these are just a few plants that make up the Icelandic flora that I spied out in our limited time spend onshore during our cruise of Iceland. As with the early settlers and current population of Iceland, to survive you need a firm resilience to the harsh conditions of both terrain and climate. For a more comprehensive look at Icelandic Flora check out iceland-nh.net
