Plant Life! Few plants live in Antarctica because of ice covered land and the harsh climate. Mosses are most common Antarctic plants. They cling to rocky area, mostly on the coast. Two flowering plants grow in Antarctica. Both live in the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula. One is a grass that forms dense mats on sunny slopes. The other is an herb that grows in short cushion-like bunches. Simpler organisms such as algae grow in the snow. Other organisms called lichens cling to rocks. Some lichens survive by bunching together to conserve water. Scientists have discovered rows of black, white, and green lynches growing in tiny cracks in dry valleys. Small plants and algae also drift on the surface of the Antarctic ocean. So if you thought there was no plant life on Antarctica ice surface think again.