Former Canadian Museum of Nature botanist, Nicholas Polunin, wrote in 1940 that this plant "must be reckoned among the world's greatest beauties, especially as it stands out in its unusually bleak and desolate surroundings." Purple saxifrage is an edible plant that is seen all over the high Arctic. Purple saxifrage is the first plant to flower in the Arctic spring, and stays in bloom for 10 to 14 days. Fun fact: Inuit have been known to eat the sweet blossoms of the purple saxifrage which contain vitamin C.
Interested in seeing more Arctic flowers? Take a look at our Three Arctic Island Voyage.
Photo courtesy of Nigel Milius, from our passenger slideshow, Three Arctic Island Voyage.
