Plant Life of the Northwest Territories

Boreal Forest

The boreal or 'northern' forest occupies 35% of the total Canadian land area and 77% of Canada's total forest. This northern forest, named after Boreas, the Greek god of the North Wind, starts in the Yukon Territory, forming a band almost 1000 kilometres wide, and sweeps southeast towards Newfoundland. To its north is the treeline and beyond that the tundra of the Arctic.

The boreal forest is characterized by coniferous trees. Fossil records show that they first appeared 12 to 15 million years ago. Since then, the boreal forest has adapted to the forces of fire, glacial ice, insects and disease. These natural disturbances continue to be necessary for the maintenance of the forest's ecological balance. Forest fires shape our landscape, and are essential for the survival and regeneration of many plants and animals.

Some 834 different flowering plants have been identified in the Northwest Territories, from arctic ferns in the north to rosesin the south. The northern climate shapes the unique plant life of the NWT. Summer in the high Arctic brings uninterrupted daylight for almost six months between the spring and fall equinoxes. In the southern NWT, there are up to 20 hours of daylights during June and July.

Growing seasons vary according to the frost-free period. The frost-free period is between 50-60 days in the western arctic. The season varies from 60 days in the barren lands (central NWT) to between 50 and 100 days in the Mackenzie Valley and Great Slave Lake areas.

Trees & Shrubs

Wildflowers

Many plants in the Northwest Territories have adapted to their northern environment, by adopting a prostrate form, or by protecting their buds by burying them in tufts or rosettes of leaves. Many have an insulating hairy or wooly cover to leaves, stems, buds or fruits, to protect them from the cooler climate. Some, like the arctic poppy and arctic avens track the sun - orienting their flowers so that they always face the sun, making maximum use of the sun's heat.

Some Northern Wildflowers:

Who We Are

B. Dene Adventures

Cultural Tours - Experience the Dene way of life with oral history, stories and legends, camp fire, snacks, trapping, snaring, hunting stories, traditional drumming demonstration, traditional Dene games. Come and get a taste of the Dene way of life.

Open Sky Creative Society (OSCS)

Open Sky Festival - late June or early July each year. The Open Sky Festival (OSF) is an annual multidisciplinary arts festival held since 2001 in Fort Simpson, NWT. It is the largest single programming event for the OSCS. The festival serves as one of the only presentation & dissemination opportunities for...

Yukon Tourism Education Council

The Yukon Tourism Education Council is an organization that addresses industry’s need for a coordinating body to undertake the human resource issues facing the Tourism Industry in the North. We provide training and education products to tourism and service businesses, in an effort to enhance the growth of a...

Denendeh Development Corporation

The Denendeh Development Corporation is a private company, incorporated in 1982, to enable the Dene of Canada's Northwest Territories to share in the ownership of profitable businesses and to foster employment growth and career development in Dene communities.

North Star Adventures

North Star Adventures is 100% Aboriginal owned and operated! We can offer you a true, authentic perspective on the traditional cultural practices and values of the local Dene people. Our guides possess important traditional knowledge about the land and the animals. Guests will get a hands-on experience in our...

Hearne Lake Lodge

Ken Yoder and Edie Dul