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Ferns that Live in the Tundra

Ferns and its relatives are ancient plants that formed the first vascular systems used to transport water within their stems. Ferns have fronds instead of leaves and reproduce through spores instead of seeds. They are rare on the the tundra. Most plants that thrive on the tundra are flowering plants that produce seeds. The Arctic, Antarctic and alpine tundras are harsh climates for ferns and its relatives. These plants thrive in water-fed areas like woodlands in the tropics. Tundras are polar deserts with frigid temperatures and little rainfall. Only a few ferns and their relatives are found in the tundras of Earth.

Broad Buckler Fern
- Broad buckler fern, formally known as Dryopteris erythrosora, is found on the Alaskan tundra. It's a woody fern with shiny green fronds that appear each spring. This hardy fern can withstand temperatures of minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. It's a deciduous plant and loses it's leaves in the fall. It also is able to survive in low light condition, performing photosynthesis with little access to sunlight. Under the best growing conditions, this fern will survive from three to 10 years.
Fragile Fern
- Fragile fern, formally known as Cystopteris fragilis, thrives in rocky places and is found worldwide. Its range includes the tundra of Alaska, Newfoundland and Greenland. This small deciduous fern tends to grow in bright green clumps of lacy fronds. Its fronds are up to 1 foot in length, and its spores have spines. Fragile fern thrives even at the highest elevations. Fragile fern defies its name by surviving temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Horsetails
- Horsetails from the Equisetaceae family are ancient plants that are close relatives to ferns. Horsetail's branched stems resemble a horse's tail, and several varieties of these plants grow in Arctic regions. Their green stems are covered with tiny leaves. Photosynthesis occurs in the stems. These plant are very hardy, and even contain silica in their stems. They have been used by explorers to scour pots. This plant adapts well to very harsh environments like the tundra.
Clubmosses and Spikemosses
- Club mosses and spike mosses, formally known as Lycopodiaceae and Selaginellaceae, are also close relatives of ferns because they have vascular systems and reproduce with spores. The stems and leaves of these plants are stiff. This helps them some of them survive the harsh winters on the tundra. One variety, stiff club moss, grows in tufts of upright branches which are yellow green in appearance. Another variety, Siberian spike moss is a ground creeper that forms thick mats. Its short branches are topped with cones.

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