Flora of the Faroe Islands

Findings of Betula pubescens trunks and branches in the soil, dated to c. 2300 BC, and the abundance of Corylus pollen in deep layers, suggest that at least some local stands of birch and hazel trees were present in the Faroe Islands, prior to human settlement.

The extreme oceanic climate, with winds whipping vast quantities of sea salt into the air, makes the islands very unfavourable to trees, though a few species from South America have been introduced since the 1970s.

One outstanding for its beauty and for having resisted strong storms and cool summers is the monkey-puzzle tree from Argentina, Chile and Brazil.

The biggest Alaskan pine tree (Pinus contorta) in Europe (in width, not in height), is to be found in the Selatrað plantation in the Faroe Islands.

Generally, introduced tree and plant species from the oceanic climates of coastal Alaska, New Zealand, Tierra del Fuego and Tasmania are adapted to Faroe, while introduced non native species from the more continental climates of Scandinavia and the rest of Northern Europe do not show that virtue because of intolerance to the wind and the lack of summer heat.