In forests, we find many different plants: trees, shrubs, ferns and grasses that struggle every day to capture the amount of light and to absorb the water and nutrients they need to survive.
Therefore, if you are one of those who like to take excursions to these places and want to know the names of forest plants, then we will tell you some of those that grow in temperate forests.
Contents
What is a temperate forest and where can it be found?
The temperate forest is found in regions where the climate is temperate, that is, it is not hot but not cold either. East It is located between latitudes 23º and 66º Of the earth. If we talk about countries, those that have this type of forest are, among others: the United States, Mexico, Spain, Germany, France and the United Kingdom in the northern hemisphere; and southeastern Australia, southern Africa and southern South America in the Southern Hemisphere.
The plants that live there are adapted to a climate where the summers are mild and the winters are cold with frost. Temperatures are around 30°C maximum and -20°C minimum, although it is important to clarify that the closer to the equator, the warmer they will be and the further away they are, the colder it will be. This means that no two temperate forests are the same, as they also do not have the same annual rainfall.
In reality, there can be dry or relatively dry temperate forests where it falls 300-500 mm, and humid temperate forests with an annual rainfall of 2000 mm. The sea, the orography, the altitude, the sun, the climate of the region… everything influences the plants, their way of life, the size they will reach, the shape of the leaves, their flowering season and fruiting.,. .. In short, the conditions of each temperate forest are what determine its own raison d’etre.
temperate forest flora
The temperate forest plants we are going to show you are:
Acer red
Image – Wikimedia/liz west
It is known as the red maple or Canada maple and is a deciduous tree native from Canada to central Mexico. It reaches a height of between 20 and 30 meters, and develops a crown about 4 to 5 meters wide. The leaves are three-lobed, green, but turn red in autumn before falling. Out of curiosity, tell yourself that it can live up to 200 years.
fagus sylvatica
Image – Wikimedia/Plant Image Library
It is the common beech, a deciduous tree native to Europe. It usually forms forests called beech forests, although it can also be found sharing its habitat with other species. Reaches a maximum height of 40 meters, and has simple green, purple, and multicolored leaves depending on the variety and/or cultivar. It has a life expectancy of 250 years.
Syriac hibiscus
It is known as the Syrian rose, and it is a bush or small tree native to Asia that reaches up to 4 meters high. It is deciduous and its flowers bloom from spring to autumn. These are white, pink, red, lilac, etc.
Hyacinthella leucophaea
Image – Wikimedia/Xulescu g
It is one of the plants known as wild hyacinth, although it should be noted that it is a plant with smaller leaves and flowers. It is a bulb native to Europe which reaches a maximum height of 10 centimeters when it is in bloom. These flowers are white and bloom in the spring.
Non-script Hyacinthoides
Image – Wikimedia/Eddi Laummanns
Known as the bluebell, it is a perennial bulbous plant native to Europe and the United Kingdom, especially common in the latter country. Reaches a height of 13 centimeters when flowering, something he does in the spring. Its flowers are lilac-bluish, and although they are small, as it grows in groups it forms spectacular mats before the trees fill with leaves.
Magnolia fraseri
Image – Wikimedia/Richtid
It is known as Fraser’s magnolia and is a deciduous or small tree native to Appalachia in eastern North America. Reaches a height of 10 to 14 meters, and develops very large green leaves, as well as white flowers about 30 centimeters wide. They are very fragrant and grow in the spring.
sitchensis spruce
Image – Wikimedia/Roland Tanglao
Sitka spruce, as it is known, is a conifer native to the Pacific coast of North America. It can reach a height of 50 to 60 meters, sometimes up to 100 meters, and develops a crown which becomes cylindrical with age. It is one of the largest conifers in the world, and also one of those that live near the Arctic.
canine pink
Known as the wild rose, it is a thorny deciduous shrub native to Eurasia and Africa. Reaches 2 meters in height, and develops stems which tend to hang down as they grow. The flowers are about 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter and are white or white-pink.
Rubus fruticosus
Image – Flickr/Stefano
This is the scientific name for bramble or blackberry. It is one of the fastest growing temperate forest plants, as it can grow at a rate of 5 cm per day. As its stems are protected by thorns, it has no rival to stop its “feet”. The good thing about it is that its fruits, blackberries, are suitable for human consumption, and nowadays it is also possible to find a variety without thorns to have in gardens and/or orchards.
Quercus robur
Image – Flickr/Peter O’Connor aka anemoneprojectors
It is a deciduous tree known as oak, carballo or ash oak, native to virtually all of Europe and the UK. It can reach a height between 10 and 30 metersand develops a broad leafy crown of 4 to 5 meters.
Which of these temperate forest plants did you like the most?