🌿 Plants in the Sälen Mountains and Transtrand
The flora of the Sälen Mountains includes plants from coniferous forests, mountain birch forests, wetlands, traditional summer pasturelands and the low-alpine mountain heath.
Here we present a selection of plants found in the Sälen Mountains and the Transtrand area, with information about habitat, characteristics, flowering period and possible uses.
Please note that for several of these species the rule is “Look, but do not touch”.
Read more about the Right of Public Access below.
🌱 A selection of the flora of the Sälen Mountains
Mountain birch
Betula pubescens ssp. pumila (fd czerepanovii)
🌿 Habitat:
Mountain birch forest, mountain slopes and the transition towards the treeless mountain areas, mainly above the coniferous forest limit.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 May–June
A low and often crooked birch with a growth form adapted to wind, snow and a short growing season.
Mountain birch forest has a relatively limited distribution in the Sälen Mountains, but may possibly occur on Storfjället and Stor-Närfjället.
🌿 Traditional use:
Birch wood has long been used as fuel and timber, while birch bark, sap and young leaves have had various traditional uses.
Norway spruce
Picea abies
🌿 Habitat:
Coniferous forest, slopes and more humid woodland.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
🌸 May–June
Coniferous tree. One of the dominant conifers in the Sälen area.
Recognised by its short needles and hanging cones.
🌿 Traditional use:
Spruce has long been used as a building and timber material as well as for fuel.
Young spruce shoots have traditionally been used in food and drinks, partly because of their fresh, slightly acidic flavour.
Scots pine
Pinus sylvestris
🌿 Habitat:
Dry and nutrient-poor coniferous forests, heaths and slopes.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
🌸 May–June
Coniferous tree. One of the most common trees in the forests around Sälen.
Recognised by the reddish upper part of the trunk and its needles growing in pairs.
🌿 Traditional use:
Pine has long been used as building timber and fuel.
Bark, resin, roots and young shoots have had various traditional uses.
Resin has, among other things, been used for sealing and as an ingredient in traditional ointments.
Rowan
Sorbus aucuparia
🌿 Habitat:
Forest, mountain birch forest and open areas.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
🌸 June–July
A small tree with white flowers and clusters of orange or red berries in late summer and autumn.
🫐 Edible:
Rowan berries can be used for example to make jelly, jam and juice.
They are quite bitter and become milder after frost or freezing.
The berries should be cooked or otherwise processed before being consumed in larger quantities.
Juniper
Juniperus communis
🌿 Habitat:
Dry forests, heaths and open areas.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
🌸 April–June
Evergreen coniferous shrub with pointed needles and mature blue-black juniper berries.
🫐 Edible:
Mature juniper berries are mainly used as a spice, for example with game, stews and sauces.
They can also be used to flavour drinks.
Harvesting from wild populations should be done sparingly.
Dwarf birch
Betula nana
🌿 Habitat:
Mountain heaths, wetlands and damp areas.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 May–June
A low-growing birch species with small, almost round leaves.
Occurs mainly on the more snow-rich mountain heaths.
Creeping azalea
Kalmia procumbens (Loiseleuria)
🌿 Habitat:
Wind-exposed and open mountain heaths.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
🌸 June–July
A low, creeping shrub well adapted to wind, cold and a thin snow cover.
A characteristic plant of wind-exposed mountain heaths.
Alpine bearberry
Arctous alpina
🌿 Habitat:
Open and wind-exposed mountain heaths.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
🌸 June–July
A low-growing mountain plant typical of alpine heath vegetation.
The leaves often turn a beautiful red colour in autumn.
🫐 Berries:
The berries are edible but rather tasteless and therefore have little significance as a berry plant.
They are eaten by birds and other animals.
Crowberry
Empetrum nigrum
🌿 Habitat:
Mountain heaths, wetlands and nutrient-poor woodland.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
🌸 April–June
One of the most common low-growing shrubs on the open mountain heaths of the Sälen Mountains.
Recognised by its small needle-like leaves and black berries.
🫐 Edible:
The berries are edible and have traditionally been used for
juice, jam and other preparations.
They have a fairly mild flavour and are mainly used together with other berries.
Lingonberry
Vaccinium vitis-idaea
🌿 Habitat:
Dry coniferous forests, heaths and mountain areas.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
🌸 May–June
A low, evergreen shrub with white or pink flowers and red berries.
In mountain environments it often grows in somewhat more sheltered locations.
🫐 Edible:
Lingonberries usually ripen during August–September and are one of the most widely used wild berries in Sweden.
They are used for jam, juice, jelly and as an accompaniment to traditional Swedish food.
Their natural acidity and content of preserving compounds help them keep relatively well.
Blue heath
Phyllodoce caerulea
🌿 Habitat:
Bilberry heaths and open mountain areas.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 June–July
A low-growing mountain shrub with small evergreen leaves and pink to bluish bell-shaped flowers.
It is part of the vegetation that can occur on the more snow-rich mountain heaths.
Bilberry
Vaccinium myrtillus
🌿 Habitat:
Coniferous forest, mountain birch forest and mountain heaths.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
🌸 May–June
A low-growing shrub with green, angular stems and blue berries.
In mountain environments it mainly thrives in more sheltered and snow-rich locations.
🫐 Edible:
The berries usually ripen during July–September and can be eaten fresh or used for
jam, juice, pies and desserts.
Bilberries are also an important food source for many birds and animals.
Cloudberry
Rubus chamaemorus
🌿 Habitat:
Bogs, marshes and very wet areas.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
🌸 June–July
White flowers are followed by the characteristic orange-yellow berries.
Cloudberry is a well-known plant on the bogs of the Sälen Mountains.
🫐 Edible:
The berries usually ripen during July–August, depending on altitude, snowmelt and weather.
They are highly valued and are used for
jam, jelly, juice and desserts.
Cloudberries are also rich in, among other things, vitamin C.
Bog rosemary
Andromeda polifolia
🌿 Habitat:
Boggy and very wet areas.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 May–July
A small evergreen shrub with narrow leaves and pink or white bell-shaped flowers.
It has been documented on Sälfjället.
Creeping willow
Salix repens
🌿 Habitat:
Damp heaths, wetland margins and open areas.
⭐⭐ 2/5
🌸 May–June
A low-growing willow that spreads close to the ground.
The species is particularly interesting in Sälen because the area lies close to its northern range limit according to the local flora description.
Northern monkshood
Aconitum septentrionale
🌿 Habitat:
Stream ravines, damp forests and nutrient-rich soils.
⭐⭐ 2/5
🌸 July–August
A tall herb with characteristic blue-violet helmet-shaped flowers.
A botanically interesting species because the Sälen Mountains lie near its southern range limit.
☠️ Poisonous:
The entire plant is poisonous and should not be eaten or handled unnecessarily.
Alpine willowherb
Epilobium hornemannii
🌿 Habitat:
Streams, springs, damp mountain areas and wet woodland environments.
⭐⭐ 2/5
🌸 July–August
A low to medium-height willowherb with pink flowers that thrives in damp environments.
The species is particularly interesting because the Sälen Mountains lie near its southern range limit.
Oxeye daisy
Leucanthemum vulgare
🌿 Habitat:
Traditional summer pasturelands, meadows and open grasslands.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 June–August
A classic white meadow flower with a yellow centre.
Occurs, among other places, on old summer pasturelands where traditional land management has been maintained.
Red campion
Silene dioica
🌿 Habitat:
Traditional summer pasturelands, meadows and more nutrient-rich soils.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 June–August
A perennial herb with pink to reddish-pink flowers.
One of the species that can be found on old summer pasturelands in the Sälen area.
Common sorrel
Rumex acetosa
🌿 Habitat:
Meadows, grasslands and damp areas.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 May–July
A perennial herb with arrow-shaped leaves and small reddish flowers in a tall flower cluster.
Occurs, among other places, along streams and in damp environments.
🫐 Edible:
Young leaves can be used sparingly as a sour addition to salads, soups and sauces, for example.
Do not eat large quantities, as the leaves contain oxalic acid.
Taiga sedge
Carex norvegica ssp. inferalpina
🌿 Habitat:
Damp mountain areas, wetlands and damp grasslands.
⭐⭐ 2/5
🌸 June–July
A small sedge with narrow leaves and characteristic sedge spikes.
Documented at Norra Holmen in Transtrand in 2015.
Long-stalked yellow-sedge
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz – own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 – source.
Carex lepidocarpa ssp. lepidocarpa
🌿 Habitat:
Rich fens and other limestone- and mineral-rich wetlands.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 June–July
A sedge with characteristic beak-like fruit sacs.
Documented in abundance in a rich fen approximately 500 m northwest of Hösätern in Transtrand.
Brown bog-rush
Schoenus ferrugineus
🌿 Habitat:
Limestone-rich fens and mineral-rich wetlands.
⭐⭐ 2/5
🌸 June–July
A tussock-forming sedge-like plant with narrow, stiff leaves and dark to brownish spikes.
Documented at Storkällan, northwest of Dragtjärnåsen in Transtrand.
Common cottongrass
Eriophorum angustifolium
🌿 Habitat:
Wetlands, marshes, wet meadows and other wet areas.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
🌸 June–July
A monocotyledonous sedge-like plant that forms white, woolly seed heads.
It can occur in very large populations and make entire wetlands appear white.
Sweet vernal grass
Anthoxanthum odoratum
🌿 Habitat:
Meadows, grazing land, roadsides, traditional summer pasturelands and open grasslands.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
🌸 May–June
A perennial grass that flowers early and has dense flower heads.
Recognised by its characteristic sweet scent, especially when dried as hay.
Documented in the Sälen area and at several locations in Transtrand.
🌾 Traditional use:
Sweet vernal grass has been a valued grass in hay meadows and has contributed to the fragrance of hay.
Harvesting from wild populations is not recommended.
Creeping lady’s-tresses
Goodyera repens
🌿 Habitat:
Moss-rich mature coniferous forests, particularly spruce forests with high humidity.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 July–August
A small orchid with evergreen, net-patterned leaves and small white flowers in an upright flower spike.
Red-listed as vulnerable (VU). Documented in Transtrand.
⚠️ Protected orchid:
Creeping lady’s-tresses is protected and must not be picked or dug up.
Leave it where it grows.
Lesser butterfly-orchid
Platanthera bifolia
🌿 Habitat:
Rich fens, damp meadows and damp woodland.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 June–July
A white-flowering orchid with strongly fragrant flowers, especially in the evening.
Documented in the northern Transtrand Mountains, including rich fens below the eastern slope of Öjskogsfjället.
⚠️ Protected orchid:
Lesser butterfly-orchid is protected and must not be picked or dug up.
Fragrant orchid
Gymnadenia conopsea
🌿 Habitat:
Rich fens, limestone-rich wet areas and herb-rich mountain meadows.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 June–August
An orchid with dense flower spikes and pinkish-purple flowers.
Documented in the northern Transtrand Mountains in rich fens below the eastern slope of Öjskogsfjället.
⚠️ Protected orchid:
Fragrant orchid is protected and must not be picked or dug up.
Common twayblade
Neottia ovata
🌿 Habitat:
Damp meadows, herb-rich woodland and rich fens.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 June–July
A green-flowering orchid with two distinct opposite leaves.
Documented in the northern Transtrand Mountains in rich fens below the eastern slope of Öjskogsfjället.
⚠️ Protected orchid:
Common twayblade is protected and must not be picked or dug up.
Heath spotted-orchid
Dactylorhiza maculata ssp. maculata
🌿 Habitat:
Wet meadows, marshes, wetland margins and damp mountain areas.
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
🌸 June–July
An orchid with spotted leaves and pink to purple flowers.
Documented in the Sälen Mountains, including at Hundfjället.
⚠️ Protected orchid:
Heath spotted-orchid is protected and must not be picked or dug up.
🫐 Edible
🌿 Traditional use
☠️ Poisonous
⭐ 1/5 = very local or rare in the area
⭐⭐ 2/5 = uncommon
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 = occurs at several suitable locations
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 = common
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 = very common
Flowering periods are approximate and may vary depending on altitude,
weather, snowmelt and the growing season in a particular year.
The Sälen Mountains are relatively low, and the underlying bedrock is largely
poor in limestone. Therefore, the mountain flora differs from that of many higher and
more limestone-rich mountain areas. Occurrence also varies considerably
depending on wind, snow cover, moisture, altitude and ground conditions.
Read about the Right of Public Access
🌲 The Right of Public Access in brief
The Right of Public Access gives everyone the right to enjoy
the countryside, including privately owned land, but with an obligation to
show consideration.
-
🚶 Walk, cycle and ski
in nature, as long as you do not disturb or cause damage. -
🏕️ Camp
for one or a few nights in a suitable location, well away from residential buildings. -
🍓 Pick wild berries, mushrooms and flowers
that are not protected. Nature reserves and other protected areas may have special rules. -
🔥 Light a fire
only when it is safe and permitted.
Fires may be prohibited during fire bans and in certain protected areas. - 🚫 You must not litter, damage nature, disturb residents or enter private gardens/home privacy zones.
-
🐕 Dogs in the Sälen Mountains:
Between 1 March and 20 August, dogs must be kept on a lead or under such close control that it is equivalent to an invisible lead.
At other times, dogs may be off lead only if you have full control and prevent them from chasing or disturbing wildlife.
In nature reserves, dogs may have to be kept on a lead all year round – always check local regulations.
The basic rule:
Do not disturb – do not destroy.
🌿 Please note:
Nature reserves and other protected areas in the Sälen Mountains may have special regulations that restrict the Right of Public Access.
Always check current local regulations before camping, lighting a fire or picking plants.