Botany

June into August provides a vast display of colour from a numerous variety of alpine plants. The Tromsø Botanical Gardens will give you a taste of what abounds in this stunningly picturesque region.  Professor Arve Elvebakk has created six collections which includes, Arctic, Saxifrage, Primula, Himalaya, South America  and Old Garden plants of North Norway. These gardens are beautifully created, are open every day and admission is free.

You can enjoy self guided walks, constantly view an profusion of roadside plants and flowers as you take in a leisurely drive or take a guided tour with a fellow enthusiast. Målselv and Lauksletta House provide guided walks however all our centres offer excellent unguided options. Norway is one of the world’s most northerly countries and with an average elevation of 460 metres it is home to a rich variety of alpine plants.

The island of Arnoy is one of the most northerly locations for a number of alpine varieties. The land is still moving after the last ice age, with the land still rising at the rate of a number of mm’s per year ( a rebound from the massive weight of the ice). The sea covered a huge area of what is now dry land. The sea level was at times 50 metres higher than now in the Troms Region, creating a rich area. Short but warm summers and winters tempered by the Gulf Stream ensure a rapid explosion of activity and colour once the winter snow melts, usually in early to mid May. ( It can vary from year to year). Troms Region being located 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle enjoys 24 hours of daylight from late May to the end of July. April and August enjoy much longer daylight hours than central Europe.  Floristic regions include north boreal and alpine tundra.