Chervona rue, sleep-grass, fern, forest lily - these fabulous names actually lead to the fantastic world of the Carpathian Mountains for a visitor. Fantastic in its diversity, healing, charm. To get into it, rest in the Carpathians must be combined with at least minimal knowledge about the unusual vegetation of our mountains.

East Carpathian rhododendron (photo taken from igormelika.com.ua)

Chernogora decorated with flowers, or the Hutsul Alps

June is the time of mountain flowers. Here, for example, is the eastern rhododendron, also called scarlet rue (or scarlet, although scarlet monarda is also called scarlet rue). At the beginning of summer, this plant species from the Red Book densely covers the foothills of Pop Ivan of Marmara and the mountain itself, blooms on Pop Ivan of Chernogorsky, decorates Chernogora and the foot of Breskul with flowers.

Marmarosy is not in vain called the Hutsul Alps - they are completely different from other Carpathian peaks. Marmaros are characterized by a subalpine relief, and the paints of unique colors confirm this. In June, here, among the herbs, not only the rhododendron is hidden, but also the narrow-leaved narcissus (yes, the same one that is near the Transcarpathian Khust), alpine bells, mountain arnica, sleep-grass, powder puff, nechuy-wind ... And herb connoisseurs in this time can gather material for herbal tea. After all, real Carpathian tea, as you know, is brewed only on mountain water filled with clean air, and easily seasoned with the aroma of a fire somewhere high in the mountains ...


Photo taken from foxatechicken.com

A living carpet, woven from pink (and also purple-violet) rhododendron, also awaits in June in Gorgany, on Bliznets, Dzembronya and Chivchin. The rarity and beauty of this flowering plant is a challenge even for experienced travelers, because Marmaros is traditionally rainy in June. As you take on this challenge, prepare accordingly! And remember that traveling to Marmarosy requires special permits from the border guards and respect for plants - most of them belong to the Red Book. Therefore, they can be considered and felt in fact only at the place of flowering.

Ecological routes to the Carpathians

Special ecological routes have been developed in the Ukrainian Carpathians, which will open and present you the world of mountain biological diversity in spring and summer.

This is the path of conquering Hoverla, a journey to the pastures and to Lake Violent. This mystical lake is surrounded by flowers in summer, as well as entire fields of a fluffy miracle - alpine pines. The weather here is amazing: the sun can hide in just 15-20 minutes, and such bad weather begins that even experienced travelers get scared. But the violent beauty attracts them here again and again.


Near Lake Neistovoe (photo taken from times.cv.ua)

Other ecological routes lead to Spits, Brebeneskul and Pop-Ivan. It is possible to travel from Bystrica to the Prut river valley. Ecological trails lead from Topilche - through Dzembronya - to Pop Ivan, from Rakhiv - to Petros and Hoverla, from Kvasy - to Petros, etc.

Other flourishing areas at this time are Dragobrat, the Transcarpathian foothills and valleys (in particular, Khustshchyna, Rakhivshchyna and the vicinity of the village of Kolochava). And if you want to get to the peak of sakura and magnolia blossoms, then it often falls already in mid-April.

Carpathian healing herbs

If you don’t have a glorious Carpathian herbalist or an experienced herbalist among your acquaintances, then maps of the protected areas of the Carpathians will become a hint about where you can admire mountain herbs in spring and summer. In particular, the Carpathian National natural park, National Natural Park "Synevyr", Carpathian biosphere reserve, Vyzhnitsky Park in Bukovina, Gorgany and St. Beskydy parks, as well as the world's first international biosphere reserve "Eastern Carpathians". Also pay attention to the Beech forest in the Carpathians and the young national natural Park"Enchanted Land" in the Irshavshchina (Transcarpathia).


Strawberries (photo taken from ua.torange.biz)

In fact, the secrets of the Carpathian drink, which can give health even through a combination of flower aromas, are known only to local residents. For example, the fact that an elegant orchid is a cute cuckoo, popular in the mountain traditional medicine. Mountain daisies are the helpers of those who are disturbed by sight and hearing. Thyme - its aroma has long meant here the comfort and warmth of a home, and blueberries - reconciliation. Blueberries are also sought after by everyone who has eye problems.


Cowberry (photo taken from wiki.kubg.edu.ua)

You will see somewhere a young yellow bathing suit - know that you can swim in mountain rivers and lakes. It blooms when the air and water are already warm enough. And lingonberries are not only tasty as a berry, but also useful as a flower. Cowberry color is brewed as a tea. Also traditionally among medicinal plants The Carpathians call melissa, mint, St. How? This is truly known only in the reserved Carpathians!


Modern vegetation is characterized by richness plant species and consists of Western European, Northern, Alpine, Mediterranean, Balkan and endemic elements. The participation of cultivated vegetation is great.

In the Tertiary period, the vegetation was thermophilic. Cooling at the end of the Tertiary period led to glaciations. Pushed aside conifers pushed heat-loving vegetation to the south. Northern forms acclimatized and survived in the Carpathians to this day.

In the postglacial period, the return of heat-loving forms and the displacement of spruce and fir forests began. This is facilitated by modern warming. Among the beech forests one can observe spruce associations as a relic.

IN modern vegetation In the Soviet Carpathians, two main biological types are distinguished: woody and grassy-meadow vegetation.

Soil formation occurs in two directions, two processes develop: podzolic and burozem. Brown forest soils dominate the southern and southwestern slopes. They form in the belt of deciduous forests. Podzols - on the northern slopes, increasing podzolization with height. The distribution of soil and vegetation cover is subject to altitudinal zonality.

As in others mountainous areas, here the law of vertical distribution of vegetation is manifested. In the lowlands, there are islands of once widespread oak forests from the common oak. Rock oak grows in the foothills and less often - Daléchampé and Burgundy. Only 7.9 percent is occupied by oak forests total area forests. In some places there are small areas of hornbeam. Most of the lowlands and foothills are variegated meadows, cultivated fields, orchards and vineyards.
The gentle slopes of the Carpathians are predominantly occupied by beech - about 59 percent of the total forest area. Above the beech forests, especially in the northeastern part of the region, there is a belt of dark coniferous forests from Norway spruce and white fir - more than 32 percent of the total forest area. European cedar and Polish larch grow in rare islands. Among the natural forests there are virgin forests. Far beyond the borders of the region, beech forests are known in the tracts of Ugolka and Shirokiy Meadow of the Tyachevsky district. Like fairy-tale giants, there are beech trees about 40 m high and more than 1 m in diameter. More than 1000 specimens of yew berry have been preserved in Ugolka. Recently, Cossack juniper was discovered here. Both of these plants are tertiary relics.
Among the coniferous forests, the virgin forest under Mount Hoverla in the Rakhovsky District is unique, where spruce and fir trees are more than 50 m high and up to 1.8 m in diameter.

Endemes of the Carpathians grow in the forests - Hungarian lilac, Carpathian currant, Carpathian buttercup, Filyarsky lungwort and many others.
Above the forests are wide expanses of mountain meadows. A peculiar landscape on the meadows is formed by thickets of elfin forests - mountain pine foal, green alder, Siberian juniper.
These thickets are also called crooked forests, since their creeping shoots are strongly intertwined with each other and are almost impassable.
The Transcarpathian blankets are covered with white beard, fescue, bluegrass and other herbs. An incomparable picture is presented by the meadows during the flowering of Bluebells, Rhododendrons, Narcissus, Arnica, Gentian. On the highest cliffs you can find very rare plants, including the fabulous flower Edelweiss, which the local population calls the Silk Braid.
There are very few edelweiss left in the Carpathians, and they are protected in every possible way from complete destruction.

The flora of Transcarpathia has about 300 species of medicinal plants, of which almost 100 are used in scientific, and the rest in folk medicine. Among them, the most valuable are belladonna, scopolia, mountain arnica, lily of the valley, male fern, reddish hellebore, rosea rhodiola…

The settlements of the region are surrounded by greenery. Among the ornamental plants that adorn the streets, gardens and parks of cities and villages, there are about 400 exotic species - from Southern Europe, North America, middle and East Asia. Boxwood, thuja, douglas, Japanese Sophora, vinegar tree, black walnut, ailanthus, laurel cherry, evergreen barberries, Japanese cherries (sakura) and apple trees are well acclimatized in Transcarpathia. One of the most common ornamental trees is the pyramidal poplar.

The lower forest belt goes up to 700 m - broadleaf forests Western European type from oak, hornbeam, beech, maple, linden, elm, mountain elm. Along the upper border of this belt, dominance passes to the beech. Due to the fact that the mountains receive more precipitation than the foothills and plains, the beech here is a mountain tree. Optimum propagation heights up to 1150 m.

Middle forest belt mixed forests stretches up to 1200 m. This is a belt of beech dominance (50 m high) with an admixture of spruce and fir.

On the cooler northern slopes, the role of conifers increases. In Transcarpathia, closed from the cold northern winds, the role of broad-leaved trees is increasing, conifers are pushed high into the mountains, and beech dominates.

At the upper limit of its distribution, the beech takes the form of a low tree. Gradually, dominance passes to spruce forests.

The upper forest belt of coniferous forests reaches a height of 1800 m. It is represented by a forest consisting almost of European spruce. At upper bound spruce belt join cedar pine and larch.

Belt of subalpine vegetation (1800 m), where mountain-meadow vegetation and undersized creeping shrubs develop. All treeless, more or less smoothed spaces occupied by mountain meadows, received the name from the local population - polonium.

Alpine vegetation is developed on the highest peaks: stunted shrubs, semi-shrubs and stunted perennial herbs: edelweiss, gentian, alpine poppy, primrose, etc.

Flora of the Carpathians is richness, diversity and abundance of colors. Forests are a real pride and asset. Only on the territory of the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine are forests of the Central European type common. Admire the bright oak and beech groves, feel the gloom spruce forests. not without reason eastern part The Carpathian Mountains are called the Wooded Mountains, while in the southeast there is a historical region - Bukovina. No less beautiful are the local meadows, which literally paint the entire territory with colored lines.

The flora of the Ukrainian Carpathians is incredibly diverse. To date, there are about 2,000 plants in the Carpathian Mountains. They are represented primarily by forests of the Central European type with broad-leaved trees, which occupied 35% of the total vegetation. This includes beech, hornbeam, etc.

The second place is occupied by Euro-Siberian plants: different kinds spruce, juniper, etc. Arcto-Alpine flora is also present: willow, dryad, etc. Among the rocks and cliffs, you can even see edelweiss. Steppe vegetation also occurs. In some places there are representatives of the Crimean-Caucasian vegetation.

Rare plants of the Carpathians are represented by about 2% of the total species diversity. This includes rhododendron, from the small flowers of which the Romanians make jam. Carpathian sorrel and spurge also grow only here.

The Red Book of the Carpathians includes unique relics that have managed to survive to this day from the prehistoric period. These are yew, European cedar and others.

Before we look at the main representatives of the Carpathian flora, we recommend taking a look at. Affordable cost and comfortable conditions: what else do you need to enjoy the beauty of the Carpathian Mountains?

Beech is the most common tree in the Carpathians. An entire historical region, Bukovina, was named after him. The tree has a dense crown, through which almost no light penetrates. Growth is slow: ideal conditions in 350 years, a tree can reach a height of 50 meters. The width of the trunk is about 120 centimeters. Beech loves soft climatic conditions. A feature of beech forests is a weak undergrowth (due to strong shade).

Common oak

Oak is a tree known to every Ukrainian, which reaches a height of 30 meters. Trunk girth - up to 9 meters. Some local oaks are over 1100 years old. This means that the trees still found the princely era. In the Carpathians you can find ordinary oak and rock oak. It usually grows in mixed forests, but there are also whole oak forests.

Spruce forests reaching the horizon are one of the main treasures of the Carpathians. Carpathian forests are 40% spruce. This is a long-lived mighty tree that can grow up to 50 meters. The diameter of the trunk of the oldest trees is 1.5 meters, and the age is up to 400 years. A beautiful wide pyramidal crown makes spruce one of the most popular trees for urban gardening.

At an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level, cold and humid climate, because of which trees no longer grow here. Instead, less whimsical shrubs, moss and lichens grow.

Occupy most of the highlands of the Carpathians. It's about about thickets of shrubs with a monotonous species composition. Zherep pine covers almost the entire surface of the stone slopes. Due to the height of up to 2 meters, the plant makes the slopes impassable. Junipers and willows (dwarf type) grow on the slopes.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the alpine vegetation, represented by lichens, low shrubs and herbs. You can meet her on the tops of several arrays. Small flowers make the local landscapes more picturesque.

The main feature of the Carpathian Mountains is that their nature is practically untouched by man. locals try to live in harmony with nature and protect it. So if you are looking for a place where you can relax and forget about the city routine, you will not find anything better than the Carpathians.

More than 435 representatives of the animal world live in the Carpathians due to the richness of coniferous forests. Among them: red deer, roe deer, bog turtle, European eel. By the way, the Carpathians have become home to animals that are inherent in the Mediterranean region - spotted salamander and green frog, as well as for animals whose homeland Siberian taiga- capercaillie and black grouse.

In the Carpathians there are endemic animals that you will not find anywhere else on any piece of planet Earth. These include the Carpathian newt and the squirrel. They easily find a common language and share the territory with all representatives of the steppe and alpine fauna: alpine newt and snow vole.

In the Carpathian forests there are about 74 species of mammals (this is the third part of the total number of our smaller brothers in Ukraine), in addition, here you can meet representatives of the main classes of animals, and these are birds, fish, amphibians and insects. The most widespread species of mammals in the Ukrainian Carpathians is bats. From the hollows of the trees and from the corners of the caves look at the world of God, small and large pidkovinos, bat, rabbit and night bat.

Animals intensified in the wooded area of ​​the Ukrainian mountains in the form of a “mosaic”, that is, they can be found starting from the foothill plain (altitude 200 meters) and to the place where alpine shrubs begin (1600-1850 meters). However, such animal species as shrew, shrew, ground squirrel, muskrat and hamster, as a rule, do not rise to the highlands, which cannot be said about representatives of the alpine fauna: alpine shrew and snow vole, which quite often like to “walk” at 2000-meter heights .


It should be noted that in a certain specific feature fauna of the Ukrainian part of the Carpathians is what can be found here a large number of wild pigs. By the way, earlier these mammals could be found throughout the territory of Ukrainian lands, now they can be found in dense wooded areas where many beech trees grow.

Among the inhabitants of the Carpathian mountains we also meet small species rodents. For example, the Carpathian squirrel is a bright representative of its species: in winter, its place of deployment is a beech forest, and in summer - foothills.

A hare is something that the Carpathian forest also boasts of. There are also animals in our Carpathians that are harmful: rats, field, house, forest and yellow-throated mice. Of course, the wooded area is also inhabited by a large number of insectoids.

Animals such as shrew, brown tooth and hedgehog are animal doctors, because they heal the local flora by eating pests, however, there are also a large number of animals that dig the ground and harm it.


Who else can be found in these places? Fox - a thunderstorm of all mouse-like animals; you can meet it in the areas in front of the mountains and on the top. The badger also helps in that it regulates and does not lead to an increase in the number of dangerous insects and rodents. By the way, in the Carpathian forests there are a lot of various small predators, representatives of mustelids. In coniferous plantings and in reservoirs, you can find ferrets, otters and minks, who really like such places.

By the way, it is better to avoid gorges, thickets, because dens are often located here. dangerous predators- wolves. In the Carpathians there are forest dwellers whose population is protected by law: Brown bear, lynx and wild cats. Unfortunately, in last years the number of roe deer and red deer has significantly decreased, so hunting for them is strictly prohibited. By the way, from recent times in the Ukrainian part of the Carpathians you can meet a raccoon dog, whose birthplace is the Ussuri region, China and Japan, which suggests that people who are not indifferent to nature decide to acclimatize new species that are alien to this territory.