Flora

The severe climate and the distinct vertical climatic zones have also created a very specific, vertical arrangement of the Karkonosze flora. It is best visible in the lowering of the upper boundaries of all plant zones, including the upper limit of forest vegetation, that in the Karkonosze is 1250 m above sea level on average.
Within the Park and its protection zone there are the following vertical plant zones:
- foothill zone (up to 500 m): the most important forest system is Central-European oak-hornbeam forest.
- lower sub-alpine forest (500-1000 m): Acid Sudetic beech forest is the major community.
- upper sub-alpine forest (1000-1250 m): determined by climate impact the only forest association is the sub-alpine Sudetic spruce forest.
- sub-alpine shrub (1250-1450 m): One of the most typical plant associations is the Sudetic dwarf pine shrub (Pinus mugo) and a very characteristic and distinctive landscape element are mires.
- alpine zone (1450-1630): Typical elements are mountain meadows with three-leafed rush and a large population of tufted fescue (Festuca airoides).
The Karkonosze flora includes many protected relict and endemic species: Hieracium spp., Campalula pohemina, Saxifraga moschata ssp. basaltica, Pedicularis sudetica