FLORA

Šar Planina’s flora is particularly rich and according to current data it counts over 2000 species of vascular plants, which is more than a half of all vascular plants in Macedonia.
Šar Planina is one of the most important Balkan and European centers of high-mountain endemism, which comprises relict, endemorelict and endemic species. There are around 200 endemic and sub endemic plant taxa (species, subspecies and varieties).
Stenoendemic orophytes (mountain species). These species are from the tertiary, seldom glacial period. Such species deserve special protection: Silene schmuckeri, Dianthus scardicus, Bornmullera dieckii (cannot be found on Macedonian territory), Draba korabensis, Sedum flexuosum, Potentilla doerfleri, Crocus scardicus and Oxytropis korabensis.
Tertiary orophytes (mountain species from the tertiary period). These are usually stenoendemic or sub endemic species: Pinus peuce, Pinus heldreichii, Silene waldsteinii, Silene lerchenfeldiana, Silene asterias, Ptilotrichum rupestre, Shievereckia doerfleri, Iberis sempervirens, Hesperis dinarica, Saxifraga glabella, Potentilla montenegrina, Anthyllis aurea, Acer heldreichii, Rhamnus pumila, Viola grisebachiana, Heacleum orphanidis, Soldanella dimoniei, Veronica satureioides, Tozzia alpia, Ramonda serbica i R. nathaliae, Narthecium scardicum, Lilium albanicum, Gymnadenia friwaldskyana, Rhododendron ferrugineum and Linaria alpina.
Glacial species with arcto-alpine distribution (species from the ice-age). These species are extremely rare on the Balkan Peninsula: Selaginella selaginoides, Diphasium alpinium, Cryptogramma crispa, Salix herbacea, Salix reticulata, Rumex nivalis, Silene ruperstris, Rhodiola rosea, Saxifraga bryoides, Saxifraga androsacea, Geum reptans, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Loiseleuria procumbens, Veronica alpina, Veronica aphylla, Pedicularis oederi, Erigeron uniflorus, Saussurea alpina, Carex foetida.

Acer heldreichii / Linaria alpina / Narthecium scardicum
Potentilla doerfleri / Rhododendron ferugineum / Veronica aphyla