A bad sign: Flowers spreading in Antarctica

Flowers blooming are often a welcome sight. But not in Antarctica.

There are just two species of flowering plant native to Antarctica: Antarctic hair grass and pearlwort.

With the continent largely covered in snow and ice, there hasn't been much room for them to grow, with these plants largely limited to the South Orkney Islands, the South Shetland Islands and the western Antarctic Peninsula.

However, amidst rising global temperatures, and sea-ice melting, researchers have found that the plants are now growing far more quickly and densely.

While there could be a number of different factors affecting the plant growth, the link to the rising temperatures is clear.

According to Discovering Antarctica, the region has warmed by an average of 3°C , with sea-ice shrinking and retreating.

The warming weather could even lead to invasive species taking over the continent and pushing out the native plants. This could have a larger-scale domino effect, disrupting the balance of the local environment and ecosystem.