From the Alpine vegetation of the karstic areas to the sprawling beech woods in the west. From the oak groves and fir-tree woods in the north to the wheat fields, vineyards and olive trees in the Pre-Pyrenean basins. The great variety of landscapes found in the Pyrenees are home to a many different ecosystems.
Some of the main species are:
Flora

Beech (Fagus sylvatica): The beech is a leafy, deciduous tree. Varying in stature according to the conditions in which located, when growing in woods, its trunk tends to stretch up high almost bereft of branches, while more isolated specimens have short trunks and many branches forming broad crowns. Although they normally stand 25 to 30 metres in height, they can reach 40. Beech trees need medium lighting conditions in order to grow. Slow-growing trees, they begin to age after 300 years. Beeches provide good quality wood. The Navarrese Pyrenees are home to the largest areas of beech forest on the Iberian Peninsula.

Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea): a slender, straight-trunked, deciduous tree which reaches heights of between 30 and 40 metres. The saplings of these oaks need a good amount of light in order to prosper. Slow-growing trees, they reach ages which span several centuries. They provide excellent wood. Demanding in terms of ecological conditions, they favour sunny slopes. The Sessile Oak mixes with other species of oak without difficulty.

Silver Fir (Abies alba): an evergreen conifer belonging to the Pine family, it owes its name to the whitish hue of its bark. It normally grows in mixed woods beside beech trees. A tree at home in the shade, younger trees are able to grow in the semi-darkness of beech woods to heights of 45 metres. The Forest of Irati is the world’s westernmost boundary for this mountain species.

 

Spanish Pine (Pinus uncinata): with its cone-shaped trunk and greyish bark, these trees can reach heights of more than 20 metres. Their dark green leaves grow in pairs. They can reach the age of 300. This species belongs to the high mountainous regions of Europe. Larra, where it grows in amongst the crags to form a spectacular and highly characteristic landscape, marks its westernmost limit in the Pyrenees.

 
Other types of tree can also be found to a lesser extent: willow, elm, black poplar, ash, maple, gall oak, Holm oak and yew trees grow in river basins, thickets, clearings and on the edge of woodland.
There are also a great many bushes: box, holly, thorn, juniper, hazel, sloe and fern are present throughout the area. Further down on the scale, plants and flowers of every colour of the rainbow complete the wealth of plant life found in the Pyrenees.
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