FLORA

The flora of the "Vrachanski Balkan" Natural Park includes about 1,100 species of higher plants, which is 28% of the Bulgarian flora. Geographical location, geological and climatic features, as well as the great habitat diversity predetermine significant species richness.

Bulgarian and Balkan endemic species are distributed on the territory of "Vrachanski Balkan" Natural Park, which gives grounds to assume that the park is of national and international importance, ensuring the protection of their populations. Bulgarian endemics grow only in Bulgaria and nowhere else in the world. Such are the Campanula jordanovii, the Centranthus kellereri, the Chamaecytisus kovacevii and the Silene velcevii. All of them are of limited distribution in the country, and the localities of Centranthus kellereri and Silene velcevii are approximately one-half of the global population of these species.

More interesting than the Balkan endemics are: Acanthus balcanicus, Achillea ageratifolia, Centaurea chrysolepis, Dianthus cruentus, Digitalis viridiflora, Erysimum comatum, Gentianella bulgarica, ect.

Many of the plants are rare and protected. 35 species are protected by the Biodiversity Act. These are some of the species of orchids - common lizard orchid(Himantoglossum caprinum), pink butterfly orchid(Orchis papilionacea), woodcock orchid (Ophrys cornuta) and others. The pink peony (Paeonia mascula), the Asplenium lepidum, the laurel (Daphne laureola) and the olive daphne (Daphne oleoides), as well as the above-mentioned Bulgarian endemics.

Of the species growing in the park in the Red Book of the Republic of Bulgaria Volume 1 Plants and Fungi (2011) include 13 species: Asplenium lepidum, pink peony (Paeonia mascula), yew (Taxus baccata), Kellerent centurus (Centranthus kellereri ), Chamaecytisus kovacevii) and others.

The unique natural wealth of the nature park is part of the international Natura 2000 network under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, as well as an important place for plants - (BGIPA021 - Peev & al.2009;)