The Scottish Plant Recovery Team went on an invaluable expedition to Norway for an eight-day trip to assess the optimal ecological conditions for many of our target species.
Many of our species that are rare in Scotland are clinging to the edge of their ecological tolerance, becoming increasingly pushed into isolated pockets by varying factors such as land management and grazing. This is not the case for many of their populations in Scandinavia, where they occupy a much broader range of habitats within the landscape, with some even growing along roadsides.
By visiting these populations across a variety of habitats, we can assess and learn about the scope of ecological niches and requirements that these plants may have. We can use this knowledge to create optimal conditions for propagation, alongside identifying suitable planting locations within Scotland that could provide safehouses for species that are otherwise clinging on – helping us to establish resilient and self-sustaining populations.
On the expedition, Aline and Becca were joined by a wide range of experience through our external partners: Dan and Martin from the National Trust for Scotland, and Sam from Forestry and Land Scotland. Each a specialist in their field, we shared knowledge and exchanged observations to widen our understanding of these plants. On our return to Scotland, we were each armed with revived perspective and ideas to scour Scotland for suitable translocation habitats – alongside our broad reviews on “brown cheese”.
Dan Watson, Senior Ecologist for the National Trust for Scotland, shares his account of the six-day trip that took us around the Trondheim area of Norway.
Scottish Plant Recovery Team (plus hangers on) Norway trip, August 2026
This is a fairly subjective and rambling account of our wee sojourn to Norway from the 17th to the 25th of August. Team members included Aline and Becca (RBGE), Sam (FLS) and Martin and Dan (NTS). Plants which don’t occur in Britain are marked with an asterisk.
Day 1 – Toto, I have a feeling that we’re not in Scotland anymore.
The first inkling that things were not quite like Scotland came from going for a short stroll and finding Alpine Blue Sow-thistle Cicerbita alpina in the roadside track a few hundred metres from Songli, along with Small Cow-wheat Melampyrum sylvaticum. A little further down were a few Downy Willow Salix lapponum bushes, all at an altitude of c. 290 m.
Dan, Aline and Martin took one of the local trails to the summit of Svartfjellet (582 m). One surprise was the abundance of Bog Rosemary Andromeda polifolia, which doesn’t get far north of the Central Belt in Scotland, nor does it occur particularly high up (albeit with a 1979 record from Mount Keen at 735 m), but reaches beyond the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia. In places it occurred with Alpine Bearberry Arctostaphylos alpinus, which doesn’t get further south than Glen Lyon – both were common in most of the places we went, with the Andromeda confined to wet ground.
Through the woodland there was scattered M. sylvaticum. The walk gave us an introduction to the waymarked trails of Norway, which lead through wet and boggy terrain with no concession to folk who want to keep their feet dry.
Day 2 – Three norvegicas on one hill
We took a drive down to the Dovrefjell area, selecting a hill at random which we could access easily. A toll road took us to a start point at 1000 m at the Ryphusan refuge for the ascent of the 1438 m Ryphuskollen. Almost immediately after leaving the car park (in beautiful weather) we found a population of Alpine Gentian Gentiana nivalis in full flower. A tall plant which we first spotted in the woods on the drive up was Northern Monkshood Aconitum septentrionale*. This was scattered up the hill to about 1200 m.
The most noticeable feature when we started the steep walk to the summit was a dense woodland of Salix lapponum, Woolly Willow S. lanata, Dwarf Birch Betula nana, Juniper Juniperus communis and Crowberry Empetrum nigrum. There were willows over head height, which would be an impossible sight in Scotland at this altitude. This appeared all the more unusual as the willows became smaller and more scattered as height was gained, fading out at the summit fellfield. Whortle-leaved Willow S. myrsinites was rare, but Net-leaved Willow S. reticulata was common on rocky terrain. The willows were present most of the way to the summit.
A few flushes had some rare Scottish species such as Close-headed Alpine Sedge Carex norvegica, Scorched Alpine-sedge C. atrofusca, Chestnut Rush Juncus castaneus and Alpine Cat’s-tail Phleum alpinum. An unfamiliar sedge which was scattered about in damper areas turned out to be Mouse-tail Bog-sedge C. myosuroides* and Hares-foot Sedge C. lachenalii was found in one place. Rock Sedge Carex rupestris was common and some were infected with the smut fungus Anthracoidea rupestris, which isn’t known from Scotland. Black Alpine-sedge C. atrata was also on crags and, unlike any I have seen in Scotland, it was in the sward in a few places. Sheathed Sedge C. vaginata was common and turned out to be easy to find on all subsequent hills, even occurring in bogs.
The next target species seen was Drooping Saxifrage Saxifraga cernua. This was found in a few craggy locations but was never in abundance. A few bulbils were collected. In one location it was accompanied by Slender Snow-saxifrage Micranthes tenuis* with one plant of Alpine Saxifrage M. nivalis nearby. A bit of scrambling on craggy ground led to the first sightings of Tufted Saxifrage Saxifraga cespitosa, which, like the S. cernua, was seen in a few places but only in low numbers. Flowering was over but seeds hadn’t ripened.
Oblong Woodsia Woodsia ilvensis and Alpine Bartsia Bartsia alpina occurred in similar places but again never in quantity, and on one outcrop Glacier Buttercup Ranunculus glacialis provided a treat. We found an Erigeron which was assumed to be Alpine Fleabane E. borealis, but further investigation from photographs taken revealed that it was One-flowered Fleabane E. uniflorus. An unfamiliar plant seen in several places was Scandinavian Primrose Primula scandinavica*, but it was just past flowering, as was Lapland Lousewort Pedicularis lapponica*. Most orchids were over, but we saw the occasional Frog Orchid Dactylorhiza viridis and Small White Orchid Pseudorchis albida once. Alpine Milk-vetch Astragalus alpinus was scattered around as well.
There was a good quantity of Blue Heath Phyllodoce caerulea mixed in where the vegetation was heathy. Apart from this, the ericaceous shrubs were all common in Scotland, although Northern Blaeberry Vaccinium uliginosum and Arctostaphylos alpinus were noticeably abundant. Two other Scottish mega-rarities were seen as we got closer to the summit, Diapensia Diapensia lapponica and Norwegian Mugwort Artemisia norvegica, along with the more familiar Kalmia procumbens. We didn’t see Artemisia on any of the lower hills subsequently, while Diapensia turned out to be easy to find and appears to require the exposure of a hill-top and suitable rocky ground rather than altitude.
Interesting hill-top grasses included Anthoxanthum nipponicum* and Spiked Oat-grass Trisetum spicatum*. On the descent we found Rock Whitlow-grass Draba norvegica.
For a hill which was picked mainly because we could start high and not have a long walk in, it turned out to be an incredible day (and turned out to be the only hill from which we would get a view from the top). To see all the plants listed above which can be found in Scotland would take many days across many hills.
Day 3 – Half a hill
Aline, Dan and Martin decided to visit a smaller hill closer to Songli, and picked the 830 m Omnfjellet, although we didn’t get much higher than 620 m as Aline had to get back for a meeting. There was a surprisingly large car park and a boardwalk track leading up the hill, which was a pleasant surprise.
The lack of variety in habitat (bog with a few drier knolls), along with mist and rain, didn’t leave anyone disappointed with the decision to turn back before the summit. As usual, the Andromeda and Arctostaphylos alpinus soon appeared, but one surprise was a patch of Creeping Lady’s-tresses Goodyera repens in the bog, as I think of it as a woodland plant in Scotland. Bog-sedge Carex limosa was common, as it was in all boggy places visited. Less common was Large Yellow-sedge C. flava, which is very rare in Britain (not getting further north than Malham Tarn) but common in Scandinavia, which is puzzling. Diapensia and Kalmia were common on the knolls.
Day 4 – Hat-trick on the Omalothecas
After a sunny day off in Trondheim, with some expensive purchases (£50 for a t-shirt and don’t even ask about the coat) and a perplexing parking machine, we relocated to Hasselvika. The following day, in wet and windy weather, the whole team decided to take on a waymarked nine-mile circular route which ascended Skurvhatten, the highest peak in Indre Fosen at a lofty 622.6 metres. This was a decision probably soon regretted by some, but everyone persevered. We were rewarded with some exciting plants and absolutely no view from the summit.
The first Omalotheca was Heath Cudweed O. sylvatica close to where we parked the car. Cicerbita alpina was soon spotted as well, in its familiar ditch habitat. We soon saw extensive colonies of tall plants within the woods, the biggest population yet seen, including by those who had visited Norway previously. Melampyrum sylvaticum soon made an appearance as well, with a wood ant highway running through some of the plants. Becca got some nice footage of a well-placed seed quickly being visited by ants who were obviously interested in the tasty, fatty temptation of the elaiosome. Serrated Wintergreen Orthilia secunda also occurred in a couple of places along the track.
Off the vehicle track we followed a generally faint waymarked path which spent 90% of the time in extremely wet and boggy ground. Salix lapponum grew in the bog near a loch and Interrupted Clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum was seen for the first time, turning up fairly often for the rest of the day. We soon saw Cicerbita, Melampyrum and Whorled Solomon’s-seal Polygonatum verticillatum altogether, growing with species such as Dwarf Cornel Cornus suecica (a plant which is much more common and grows in a wider range of habitats than in Scotland, and fruits more freely), Pale Sedge Carex pallescens, Star Sedge C. echinata, Reed Canary-grass Phalaris arundinacea, Tufted Hair-grass Deschampsia cespitosa, Wood Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum, Blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillus, Marsh Hawk’s-beard Crepis paludosa, Beech Fern Phegopteris connectilis, Goldenrod Solidago virgaurea, Stone Bramble Rubus saxatilis and under Norway Spruce Picea abies. This was the only time all day that we saw any Polygonatum. A little further on was some Northern Deergrass Trichophorum cespitosum s.s.
As usual, Sheathed Sedge Carex vaginata was common. In contrast, Carnation Sedge C. panicea was hardly ever seen, and the two seem to have almost swapped places in the locations we visited. Intermediate Sundew Drosera intermedia was also present, as was Round-leaved Sundew D. rotundifolia, whereas no sightings were made of Great Sundew D. anglica, in contrast to the normal situation in Scotland. Scottish Asphodel Tofieldia pusilla was also happy to grow in acidic bogs, not like the flush habitat it frequents in Scotland.
Further along, a population of Rannoch-rush Scheuchzeria palustris was seen, with a second population not far from the end of the walk. A clubmoss was identified as an Alpine Clubmoss Diphasiastrum complanatum agg., but without strobili it was hard to take further.
The smut fungus Anthracoidea limosa was found on several Carex limosa plants, this being a rare fungus in Britain. Ascending a little higher, the second Omalotheca, this time Highland Cudweed O. norvegica, was found, and as is often the case in Scotland, it was at the top of a bit of a gully. A little further on Dwarf Cudweed O. supinum was seen. Neither was found in any other location.
An unfamiliar rush turned out to be Thread Rush Juncus filiformis. This does occur in Britain, but in Scotland its usual habitat seems to be the draw-down zone of reservoirs, not in the more natural bog habitat it occurred in here. A little further on was a population of Mountain Bog-sedge Carex rariflora and the only population of Starry Saxifrage Micranthes stellaris noticed on the whole trip. Around about here a reindeer came briefly into view and raised the spirits of the group. As usual, the summit had a good population of Diapensia and, less usually, some hot chocolate.
The descent from the summit was fairly short and steep, but we still got dumped in a bog (with the second population of Scheuchzeria) before the welcome sight of the car came into view. A wee treat at the end of the day was three moose not far from the track as we were driving out.
Becca brought back a bundle of bryophytes, and it was a surprise to find out one of her target species, Paludella squarrosa, was hidden inside. This moss formerly occurred at three sites in the north of England and was thought to be extinct in Britain and Ireland until it was discovered in County Mayo in 1998. It is more widespread in Norway.
Day 5 – we’ll bring the right gear next time
Everyone apart from Becca took a drive up to Afjord (which should obviously be twinned with Alford) for a shorter walk on another waymarked trail up Melanekken. This soon turned out to be very steep and rocky, with a bit of easy scrambling in places. Not what was really expected, but good fun.
We soon found Melampyrum sylvaticum and a lot of Twinflower Linnaea borealis leaves in the woodland. Goodyera repens was also seen in a more familiar habitat. An unfamiliar plant growing from an outcrop was Rock Campion Atocion rupestre*. Once again Diapensia was at the summit, which was only 345 m.
Alas, mist had descended, so once again we were left without a view at the top, but there had been some good scenery viewed from lower down. A bit of dodgy navigation led us astray on a path which took us to the brink of the top of a via ferrata route. Deciding against a suicidal descent, we were forced to retrace our steps, but before doing so compensation came in the form of some rosettes of Pyramidal Saxifrage Saxifraga cotyledon*.
The correct path soon took us to the now-familiar waymarked boggy woodland, which seems to be a character of most trails in this part of Norway. Once again Juncus filiformis was found in the bog before we reached a good track which led back to the car park.
Becca had gone for a walk from our house and also saw Linnaea aplenty.
Day 6 – I’ve lost track. Where were we?
On the last day before an early departure, Aline, Becca and Dan opted for a low-level six-mile walk which turned out to be completely dry and bog-free. It was a mix of arable fields, woodlands and the wetlands created by a lake restoration project.
It was nice to see Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia at one point in the walk. Further on we saw a few stems of Polygonatum verticillatum, then a few more, surprisingly growing through Ground Elder Aegopodium podagraria, then a good and dense population. Linnaea borealis was also present in these woods.
A few extra thoughts
It was fascinating to see both the similarities and the differences in the flora and habitats between this part of Norway and Scotland. Some examples have already been given, but despite all the sedges which are rare in Scotland, there are some which are easy to find here which weren’t seen at all, so far as I can remember, e.g. Common Yellow Sedge Carex demissa, Pill Sedge C. pilulifera and Green-ribbed Sedge C. binervis. All of these do occur in Norway, but at least where we visited, don’t appear to be common.
AUTHOR: Dan Watson, Senior Ecologist, National Trust for Scotland.
EDITOR: Becca Drew, RBGE.
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