Plants

Varied flora

The nutrient-rich limestone soils are the reason why so many deciduous tree species thrive in Hainich: Beside the dominating European beech, over 30 other deciduous tree species grow here.

This abundance of tree species is particularly visible in the autumn with its blazing leaf colouring. The wood-barley beech forest with its exuberance of early bloomers grows well on the nutrient-rich and alkaline soils of Hainich. Particularly striking are spring snowflake and corydalis, liverleaf, early dog-violet, anemone, buttercup anemone, wild garlic and Turk's cap lily. On the whole, the flora is dominated by widespread species. In addition, Hainich is home to many rare and endangered species amongst the so far 900 identified farns, flowering plants, moss and lichen.


Orchids

So far, 26 different orchid species have been identified in Hainich National Park. Some of the 16 species of forest orchid can be discovered along the walking path Sulzrieden or the Naturpfad Thiemsburg.
The national park leaves nature to its own devices. This means that orchids do not get any special protection either. When meadows and pastures that are still being used slowly change into forest, some orchid species will have disappeared in some decades. But in turn, the pure forest species will be able to proliferate even better.