There are over 190 vascular plant species on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. This figure does not include algae, mosses, and lichens, which are non-vascular plants. For an island so far north, this number of species constitutes an astonishing variety of plant life. Because of the harsh climate and the short growing season, all the plants are slow growing. They seldom grow higher than

In some areas, especially in warmer valleys, the plants produce carpets of blossoms. Svalbard has been divided into four vegetation zones.

Plant species

thumb|180px|right|[[Cassiope tetragona|Arctic bell-heather]]thumb|130px|right|[[Saxifraga hieracifolia|Hawkweed-leaved saxifrage]]thumb|130px|right|[[Polygonum viviparum|Alpine bistort]]thumb|180px|right|[[Moss campion]]thumb|180px|right|[[Svalbard poppy]]thumb|130px|right|[[Pedicularis dasyantha|Woolly lousewort]]

  • Achillea millefolium <small>L.</small> (introduced)
  • Alchemilla glomerulans <small>Buser</small>
  • Alchemilla subcrenata <small>Buser</small> (introduced)
  • Alopecurus magellanicus <small>Lam.</small>
  • Anthriscus sylvestris <small>L.</small>
  • Arabis alpina <small>L.</small> – Alpine rock-cress
  • Arctagrostis latifolia <small>(R.Br.) Griseb.</small>
  • × Arctodupontia scleroclada <small>(Rupr.) Tzvelev</small>
  • Arenaria humifusa <small>Wahlenb.</small>
  • Arenaria pseudofrigida <small>(Ostenf. & O.C.Dahl) Steffen</small> – fringed sandwort
  • Barbarea vulgaris <small>W.T.Aiton</small> (introduced)
  • Betula nana <small>L.</small>