Alpine Plant Survival

Alpine plants live in an extremely harsh environment with low winter temperatures, high winds, low humidity and a very short growing season. In order to survive, they have developed a number of adaptations.

Many plants have thick, waxy leaves to reduce the impact of drying winds, while others have hairy leaves to help trap heat. They have flexible stems, so they bend in the wind and also under the weight of the snow. Alpine plants tend to be small and low to the ground, and they usually have a very short flowering season to cope with the climate. Anthocyanins (complex carbohydrate pigments responsible for the red colour in new growth) help to heat plants by absorbing and concentrating infrared radiation, while cells full of dissolved nutrients enable alpine plants to withstand freezing.

Most alpine plants are dormant throughout the winter, but they are not deciduous and hold their leaves although submerged by snow for much of the year. Some flower while still under the snow or very soon after it melts, while others flower late in the snow-free season.

The Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora) is the only tree to grow in the coldest alpine areas. Snow gums have twisted, stunted trunks, shaped by the sheer weight of the snow and ice rine. The colours of the bark, which look striking in summer, look absolutely beautiful against the winter snow.

Further information

Our segment was filmed with:
Ian Pulsford
Manager for Conservation
Programs & Planning Division
National Parks & Wildlife Service

Produced with the assistance of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Filmed on location at Kosciuszko National Park.
No environmental damage was incurred on location. The conservation values of the areas have been preserved.  

Copyright 2003 CTC Productions