Flora of the Vosges massif

These forests are characterized by stunted trees as altitude increases, eventually giving way to heathlands or mountain pastures, locally known as "high chaumes," at around 1,200 meters.

It encompasses seven departments, five of which are located in Grand Est (Vosges, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Moselle, Bas-Rhin, and Haut-Rhin) and two in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (Haute-Saône and Territoire de Belfort).

In addition to the aforementioned tree species, the most prevalent across the entire Vosges massif are the sessile oak (Quercus petraea) (11%), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) (8%), mountain maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia).

[1] The composition of forest stands in the hills is primarily influenced by three key factors: water supply, initial population density, and soil chemical richness.

The forest species most suited to mineral-poor soils are the sessile oak (Quercus petraea), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), and silver birch (Betula pendula).

[1][6]The undergrowth is home to a variety of plant species, including narrow-leaved helleborine (Cephalanthera longifolia), sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), Solomon's seal (Polygonatum multiflorum), wood violet (Viola reichenbachiana), and yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon).

These include the European chestnut (Castanea sativa), a spontaneous species that occurs around the Mediterranean Sea, and the American black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia).

The rot-resistant wood of the black locust is employed in the fabrication of vine poles and stakes,[9] while the erect brome (Bromus erectus) and sheep fescue (Festuca ovina) grasslands are utilized as tool handles.

[7][11]Additionally, other species of flowers, including the Carthusian pink (Dianthus carthusianorum),[7] the pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris),[12] the fumewort (Corydalis solida),[7] and the two-leaf squill (Scilla bifolia), can be observed in the area.

In the absence of human intervention, the forest would occupy the entire mountainscape, except for the highest peaks and those most exposed to the elements, which constitute the subalpine zone.

On the most impoverished acidic soils, the ground cover is primarily composed of wavy hair-grass (Deschampsia flexuosa), common bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), and white wood-rush (Luzula luzuloides).

It attains a height of approximately one meter and produces a cluster of pink flowers with dark red spots bordered in white, which turn towards the light.

It is found in proximity to the yellow star-of-Bethlehem (Gagea lutea) and the hollowroot (Corydalis cava), which reach their maximum altitude limit at this location.

These plants develop on stony soils on north-facing, humid slopes, where the presence of trees is precluded by avalanches and a growing season of just over two months.

The flora in these environments is capable of enduring extreme conditions, including intense sunlight and relative summer dryness, as well as very low winter temperatures.

[37]These environments also serve as habitats for a diverse array of mosses and ferns, including Cryptogramma crispa, Cystopteris fragilis, and Gymnocarpium dryopteris.

[48]Two introduced species, Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) and Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), threaten biodiversity along riverine ecosystems due to their invasive nature.

[49] A peatland is defined as a wetland characterized by the gradual accumulation of peat, a soil type distinguished by its exceptionally high organic matter content, which is largely un-decomposed and of plant origin.

[54] Additionally, the flora includes bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata),[55] marsh clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata), pod grass (Scheuchzeria palustris), and cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos).

Subsequently, the peatland is sustained solely by precipitation, the sphagnum mosses become scarce, and other plant species emerge, including tufted bulrush (Trichophorum cespitosum), purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea), and water avens (Geum rivale).

[61] The flora of the region includes species such as hare's-tail cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum),[62] crowberry (Empetrum nigrum),[2] bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum),[2] heather (Calluna vulgaris), and bog-rosemary (Andromeda polifolia).

The early-purple orchid (Orchis mascula) is the earliest to bloom, beginning in May with dark violet flowers that occasionally display pink tones.

[70] Finally, in late June, the heath-spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata) forms expansive colonies in wet meadows, displaying pink and white flowers.

The flora that inhabits these summits, situated in the subalpine zone, must adapt to a range of challenging environmental conditions, including strong winds, low temperatures, snow, and prolonged sun exposure.

vitis-idaea),[78] mountain arnica (Arnica montana),[79] great yellow gentian (or great yellow gentian, Gentiana lutea), which only blooms after ten years of growth and can reach 1.20 meters in height,[80] and Alpine pasqueflower (Pulsatilla alpina), which covers primary meadows with white flowers between April and June,[81][N 7] and the martagon lily (Lilium martagon), which blooms in June and July and can reach 1.50 meters in height, are also present.

[88] Other species present include matgrass (Nardus stricta),[89] wavy hairgrass (Deschampsia flexuosa), red fescue (Festuca rubra), and common bent (Agrostis capillaris).

Additionally, other plant types are present, including alpine fennel (Meum athamanticum), mountain cornflower (Centaurea montana),[90] globe orchid (Traunsteinera globosa), and winged broom (Genista sagittalis).

[91] By late June, in areas with optimal exposure to sunlight, one can observe the presence of St. Bernard's lily (Anthericum liliago), which exhibits delicate white flowers.

[95]The Vosges massif, situated in a geographic location that allows for the formation of a cold island, has served as a refuge for numerous arctic-alpine and circumboreal species since the conclusion of the great glaciations.

[96] In the forest environment and tall herb communities, one may, with some degree of success, observe the broad-leaved bellflower (Campanula latifolia) in some forest ravines, the interrupted clubmoss (Lycopodium annotinum), the twisted-stalk (Streptopus amplexifolius), a variety of Solomon's seal with a twisted stem found in tall herb communities alongside Adenostyles and aconites, as well as some fern species.