The short summer makes it difficult for the plants to complete a cycle of sprouting, growth and seeding during the same year. Alpine plants therefore take two to several years to complete a life-cycle. Two exceptions are annuals: the tiny koenigia and the beautiful snow gentian A usual survival strategy is to flower early, e.g. in May-June. Species such as purple saxifrage, Scandinavian primrose and several types of willows do this. In order to win time it is not unusual that plants already begin to grow and photosynthesize while still under snow. This is possible because the sun's rays can penetrate up to 20-centimetres under thick snow cover. The flower buds even lie ready and waiting after they are formed the year before.
Due to the low temperatures the microbial activity goes slowly, and the release of nutrients to the soil from dead plants and animals takes a long time. To break down a little dwarf birch leaf takes bacteria and fungus several years of work. The scarcity of available nutrients can therefore reduce growth. In addition, the soil is thin and not good at holding water. Thus water shortages are common after the snow has melted away. Several species of saxifrage, such as golden root and glacier buttercup, have thick leaves in order to store water. Glacier buttercup also has antifreeze in its plant fluids, to hinder frost damage in summer. This can be necessary, since no other plant in the country grows as high up in the mountains.
At exposed growing places it is an advantage to be little, such as for moss campion and alpine azalea. The wind cannot get as good a hold on plants that grow near to the ground. Good packaging helps, also. Alpine hawkweed and one-flowered fleabane have "hair" in order to hold in the warmth and decrease heat-loss. Some flowers turn to face the sun and have the shape of a satellite dish. In this way they can best concentrate the heat on seed production.
