Some plants I encounter in Norway.

[cohan]

Cohan and Rick R,

Larix laricina is very rarely planted here. This could be L. decidua or kaempferi.

We occasionally-- in towns/cities-- see non-native larches planted.

[Hoy]

We occasionally-- in towns/cities-- see non-native larches planted.

All larches are non-native here although they have been planted for several hundred years. So they are naturalized many places.

[Hoy]

December was mild and wet, January has so far been cold and sunny. With this cold I would rather have a lot of snow. We may have down to -7C tonight and tomorrow. Some of you will think that isn't bad but it is without snow. - In the interior they have -30C and a lot of snow. Want a ride?


https://www.nrk.no/innlandet/kald-og-snorik-start-pa-2021-1.15311551

We were out for a walk the other day. Not much in flower though! A big contrast to the snowy inland. The tarn has however a thin crust of ice.




A Hard Fern adorned with frost




Common clubmoss




Someone has dug out the spiny quillwort from the bottom of the tarn.

[Robert]

Hi Trond,

Very beautiful scenes! 

Thank you so much for sharing the photographs. Even in the winter the plants can be very beautiful - frosted white, covered with snow, or just the scene of the lake or mountains.

Not much snow? It is disappointingly dry here in our part of California. We have had some stormy weather, but for the most part precipitation amounts have been disappointingly low. We are running about 35% of average to date. It is not a good situation, but things can change for the better.

[Hoy]

We got some snow the other day when the temperature increased from -6C to +1C. The temperature will increase a little more the next days so I think the snow will disappear although the ground is still frozen.

Some plants from the garden today.

Torreya californica




Cedrus deodara




Ilex pernyi




Fascicularia bicolor




Hamamelis 'Jelena'

[Hoy]

My woodland




The garden




Ilex aquifolium

[cohan]

Nice views-- I like the yellow berries.
As far as what is cold with or without snow, it can only be measured according to what plants and infrastructure are used to! I expect my plants to be hardy to at least -20 with no snow. Our mild weather in winter is most often dry, and we often get some snow when it gets cold, so they are often lucky to be covered in the coldest times (-30 - -45), but it is not guaranteed, and -20 can easily happen at the beginning or end of winter when there may not be much snow..

[Hoy]

Cohan,

Most of the native plants take the winter without damage but some of the garden plants will suffer I expect. However cold weather now is less damaging than cold weather in March or April!

[cohan]

Every winter seems to be different, in terms of how plants take it-- I find even things that are very hardy can be damaged by certain weather--depending on when it gets cold, how warm it was before, probably snow cover or lack, etc. In the same year, some plants can seem to be set back, and others will have their best year ever!

[Hoy]

Every winter seems to be different, in terms of how plants take it-- I find even things that are very hardy can be damaged by certain weather--depending on when it gets cold, how warm it was before, probably snow cover or lack, etc. In the same year, some plants can seem to be set back, and others will have their best year ever!

Usually it is lack of heat in summer and wet winters with some frosty nights mixed in that kill plants here. Or a very cold spell late in the spring when the plants have started growing. So this very cold(!) winter so far is probably not that bad as it has been mild periods. Hopefully the spring will come without cold spells!

[Hoy]

Yesterday we went for a walk to Ryvarden Lighthouse. It is a popular area and we have been there many times, but not with snow!

Ryvarden Lighthouse, usually without snow even in winter. (March 2011)




Now the ground is more or less snow covered so we can't expect seing small plants.

A great sallow (Salix caprea) waiting for spring.




Crab apple (Malus sylvestris). Can't expect flowers yet!




Moor birch (Betula pubescens) is the most common species here.




A larch. Larch trees are commonly planted but they are not native to Norway.

[Hoy]

Bird cherry (Prunus avium).




Scots pine (Pinus sylvatica)




The south side of the hills are free of snow. The snow doesn't melt in the cold weather but sublime.




The bedrock here is acidic gneiss or something similar, and the soil is mostly peat. A few plants, like bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), common heather (Calluna vulgaris) and  bell heather (Erica cinerea) thrive in the cracks.

[Hoy]

This is a rare sight. You almost never find snow out here and now it has lasted a month!


Looking south. The snow cover the rocks down to sea level.




Looking north. The southern side of the skerries are snow free.







These small cabins are quite new. You can rent one for a night or two and experience the sun set in the Atlantic ocean. The cabins are called Flokehyttene (Floke cabins). Named after Flóki Vilgerđarson who set out from this area to find Iceland in 868. That's a long story (Landnámabók)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landnámabók

[Gabriela]

It looks spectacular Trond! The positive side of being very cold - the beautiful blue sky.
Floke cabins seem like a great idea.

[cohan]

Usually it is lack of heat in summer and wet winters with some frosty nights mixed in that kill plants here. Or a very cold spell late in the spring when the plants have started growing. So this very cold(!) winter so far is probably not that bad as it has been mild periods. Hopefully the spring will come without cold spells!

I had one spring a few years ago where things started to grow early, then we had extra cold for a week or so in late May, a few things in the garden were damaged, not too many, and a few natives even, mostly in low wetland areas where the cold air settled. I used to think some plants were damaged after the snow melted in spring, when there was cold, but now I suspect those may be mostly plants which did not harden off properly in fall-- due to sudden snow cover without enough cold before.