Interesting. I wouldn't have thought the growing season was long/warm enough for much other than grasses/grains & tundra stuff -- similar to the Aleutian Islands.

Interesting, indeed. Iceland reminds me of where I live in some ways with the cold and wind. The average annual temp is almost the same as where I live in Wyoming, but far far far less extreme. Though seems cloudy as hell there.

It sure seems like I could come up with 10 species that could grow in iceland, however, everyone except that one guy wants only native species.

I was pleased to see lodgepole pine in the guy’s forest. Lodgepole can take so much wind and cold it’s remarkable

At this rate, won't be long before they are reintroducing Sequioa to their primordial range (which included Iceland). I have read that one of the reasons Metasequoia are deciduos is that having evolved in arctic latitudes, there is no reason for leaves in a sunless winter! Thanks for sharing the video in our changing world.

Thanks for sharing that david!

It's a bit surprising that anyone would complain about planting nonnative trees, in a place that's so barren, when those trees are the saving grace, restoring wind protection back to their land.

And the fact there are only a few species of trees that are native there in the first place, with only a couple of those that grow to any size and deciduous. so really aren't much use for a wind break.

They need evergreen conifers and lots of them, to tame the wind in such a harsh environment.

Interesting that the tree guy planted Sitka spruce for pioneer species and then Alaska Cedar, both salt tolerant species that would endure where salt spray is apparently prevalent over most of the island.

41 North, that's one reason dawn redwoods grow so well here in east N America -- they were here once. Another one that grows well here for that reason is katsura tree -- my 20 yr old is getting huge. There are others like ginkgo.

Bill, I agree -- doesn't make sense because at one time not long ago at all (20 k yrs), Iceland was essentially barren -- surrounded year-round by a frozen sea in the glacial period (Britain was COVERED by a glacier). So anything that was growing there after the glacial period came from somewhere else -- non-native! OK, be sensible and informed about what to introduce, but not an extremist.

' OK, be sensible and informed about what to introduce, but not an extremist. '

Yes, and just be glad that certain, valuable evergreen trees, will even grow there at all!

Just like starting out with a bare slate of a new garden/yard.

Kind of reminds me of my place 12 years ago. :-)