Question: What plant can live in the coldest enviroment?

Isabel Webb answered on 20 Mar 2014:

The coldest parts of the world are the Arctic (North Pole) and Antarctic (South Pole).

Although we don’t tink many things could survive there, there are actually about 1700 plants in the Arctic. The ground has a layer of frost, soil and decomposed matter which is frozen. A small amount melts and refreezes through the year, allowing some root growth – but all the plants need really shallow roots. This means that the only plants that can live there are really small, like shrubs and grasses.

The Antarctic, however, only has two plants that started life there. They are found in small clumps near the shore, where temperatures are slightly warmer. These are both types of grasses.
The Antarctic also has types of moss and lichens (fungus) that can live in places where it is colder and less water is available.

Plants in cold environment tend to be small, with small leaves to reduce the amounts of water they lose. They also grow close to each other to help shelter from the cold, wind and snow – just like penguins huddle!