Lichen are a common plant in the tundra. These plants are very small and cling to rocks and the ground. Lichens look similar to moss, but they are not moss. A lichen is not a single plant, but a symbiotic relationship between algae and fungi. According to Saskatchewan schools, about 15,000 different kinds of lichens live in the tundra. Lichens are a food source for caribou and other animals that live in the tundra.
Moss is also common in the tundra. Mosses are very small plants and do not have large roots. The small roots, also known as rhizoids, take in nutrients from the soil. Moss plants grow closely to each other, forming large carpets on the ground. Mosses like to grow in wet areas and can even grow on rocks.
Heath plants, also called heather, are small evergreen shrubs. They do not grow very big, but rather cling to the ground tightly. Heath is a distant cousin to the rhododendron family. One type of heath, called Labrador tea, is a very common plant in the tundra.
Bearberry, or foxberry, is found in the tundra. This small shrub-like plant is evergreen. The stem is 2 to 8 inches tall, and the plant is covered with red berries in the summer. The berries are edible, and the leaves and roots can be made into tea.
The tufted saxifrage is a flowering plant. The flowers are white and bell-shaped when first opening. The plant stands about a foot tall and likes to grow on hillsides and in crevices. It has a developed root system, and the roots dig deep into the ground. It likes to grow in groups, so the plants grow in carpet-like mats.