The fascinating flora of Croatia
The Fascinating Flora Of Croatia
Croatia is a fascinating country teeming with beautiful nature. There are more than 5000 plant taxa growing in Croatia and it is assumed that many species have yet to be discovered or recorded. If you put this number in proportion to the small size of Croatia, then we can definitely affirm that Croatia boasts outstanding natural resources. Many larger European countries have poorer flora.
What brought about such abundance of flora? As a country in south Europe, Croatia is situated at the crossroads of continental and Mediterranean climates. The diverse flora is a result of this geographical location, as well as the survival of the ancient flora (the so-called relicts), since these areas were mostly bereft of ice and snow during the longest ice ages.
A combination of a very diverse relief, ranging from tall mountain massifs, karst fields and river valleys and a very indented coastline with numerous islands contributed to the development of numerous plant taxa.
However, all the other areas of our small country will also leave a lasting impression on you.
The mountain heights and (adverse) weather contributed to the development of the enchanting flora in Lika and Gorski Kotar, which abounds in various types of low vegetation and forests adapted to heights. We should also note that this incredible area is the habitat of two of our most famous endemic plants – the karst edelweiss and the Degenia velebitica. The Kvarner area is home to one of the most abundant and diverse floras in Croatia, with over 2700 different plant species.
Fun fact –mushrooms are not plants!
Although most people think of mushrooms as plants, it has recently been discovered that they are genetically more similar to animals. They do not have a root or leaves and do not use sunlight to survive. Mushrooms exist by “sending” their microscopic spores throughout the ground or tree and feeding on all the nutrients they can find and absorb in digestive fluids.