Mountain profile · Greece
Flora of Mount Olympus
A guide to the habitat sequence of Greece’s highest mountain, from wooded lower slopes to exposed limestone ridges and summit plateaus.
Mountain
A steep botanical gradient
Olympus compresses several vegetation zones into a short horizontal distance. Elevation, shade and moisture change quickly along its ravines, forest margins, rocky slopes and open high ground.
High ground
Look closely at sheltered rock
Small plants persist where cracks, ledges and stable pockets of scree protect roots from wind and summer drought. Cushion growth, compact rosettes and hairy leaves are useful field clues, not automatic identifications.
Observation
Record exposure before colour
Note altitude, aspect, substrate and whether a plant grows in open scree, turf or a shaded crevice. Flower colour alone is rarely enough to separate the mountain’s bellflowers, violets and other compact herbs.