Masters of survival in ice and cold

Plants above the tree line face many challenges. Living conditions are extreme due to strong winds, rain and intense sunlight. The higher up the mountain you go, the lower the temperatures drop and the longer the snow cover remains. This means that alpine plants have less time to grow, blossom and bear fruit in spring and summer.

Alpine plants have adapted to these extreme conditions in various ways. ’Cushion plants’ endure cold and wind thanks to their dense, often hemispherical growth. Heat and moisture are stored inside the ’cushion’. One example is the Gypsophila cushion plant (Gypsophila aretioides). It grows on the first ’summit’ of the alpine plant display.

Many alpine plants have dense hairs that protect them from the strong UV radiation. Dwarf shrubs often grow close to the ground to escape the drying winds. Thanks to their elastic branches, the taller mountain pines can withstand the pressure of snow masses in winter and even survive extreme natural events such as avalanches, rockfalls and landslides.

Due to global warming, temperatures in the high mountains are rising and living conditions are changing. In some places, trees and shrubs from lower altitudes are now replacing the high mountain specialists.