On the Scandinavian ridge, we do not only show plants growing in Scandinavian mountains – we show you the mountain itself. Different rocks create different soils, and therefore different types of vegetation. Some plants prefer granite, others shale. The rocks have been brought here from many different places in Norway.
The ridge is a cooperative project between the Natural History Museum’s botanists, geologists and gardeners. We want to provide insight into the underlying conditions which create different habitats. There are marshy areas as well as areas dominated by sand and gravel. Such differences are important for the development of biological diversity.
Alpine plants grow slowly. Our Oslo location is not optimal for species like the pyramidal saxifrage, but we have very skillful gardeners who do their utmost to make them thrive. You also find mountain plants like alpine sagewort, rockfoil and the small fleawort Tephroseris integrifolia, which has only been found in a single location in Norway.