Flora and fauna of the Hungarian Carpathians

Found 200 species
🇭🇺 HungaryClear all
CommaCommaPolygonia c-albumA reddish butterfly with deeply notched wings and a white letter 'C' on the underside. Common in the edges of forests and along forest roads in the Carpathians.
Tree mossIn season nowTree mossPseudevernia furfuraceaA gray bushy lichen that hangs from the branches of spruce trees in the Carpathian forests. It is neither a moss nor a parasite: it does not dry out the trees.
Dice snakeDice snakeNatrix tessellataA non-venomous snake with a checkered pattern that catches fish. Due to its dark coloration, it is often mistaken for a viper.
Bank voleBank voleClethrionomys glareolusThe small reddish-brown rodent is the most numerous mammal in the Carpathian forests. It serves as prey for owls, martens, and foxes.
Red-brown longhorn beetleRed-brown longhorn beetleStictoleptura rubraA longhorn beetle that sits on flowers in summer: the female is brick-red, the male is yellowish-brown with a black pronotum.
BetonyBetonyBetonica officinalisA grass with a dense spike of purple flowers on a tall stem. It blooms all summer and attracts butterflies and bumblebees.
Alder buckthornPoisonousAlder buckthornFrangula alnusA shrub of moist forests, with green, red, and black fruits hanging at the same time. The fruits and fresh bark are poisonous.
May lilyPoisonousMay lilyMaianthemum bifoliumA small forest plant with two heart-shaped leaves and a cluster of white flowers. The red berries are poisonous.
Lesser butterfly-orchidRed Data Book of UkraineLesser butterfly-orchidPlatanthera bifoliaA white orchid with two shiny leaves that has the strongest fragrance at night. A species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.
Sticky sageSticky sageSalvia glutinosaA tall forest sage with pale yellow flowers and sticky stems. It blooms in the shady Carpathian forests all summer.
AspenAspenPopulus tremulaA tree with round leaves that trembles at the slightest breeze. It is the first to inhabit clearings and burnt areas, burning yellow and red in autumn.
Scorzonera roseaScorzonera roseaScorzonera roseaPink 'daisies' with ligulate flowers among the grass of the polonynas, on a stem above a tuft of narrow, grass-like leaves. It blooms in summer.
Herb RobertHerb RobertGeranium robertianumA small forest geranium with pink flowers and lace-like leaves that turn red in the sun. It grows in the shade, on rocks and walls.
Red campionRed campionSilene dioicaBright pink flowers with split petals on wet meadows and by streams. Blooms from May to autumn.
White butterburWhite butterburPetasites albusIn spring — whitish inflorescences on a scaly stem, in summer — huge round leaves along mountain streams.
Porcelain fungusEdible only after cookingPorcelain fungusOudemansiella mucidaWhite semi-transparent caps covered with slime on beech trunks. A fungus of the Carpathian beech forests; it has no food value.
Norway mapleNorway mapleAcer platanoidesA maple with pointed leaves that turns yellow and orange in autumn. It grows in deciduous forests of the foothills and in villages.
Yellow stagshornYellow stagshornCalocera viscosaBright yellow 'coral' on decayed spruce stumps. An inedible mushroom, one of the most noticeable in coniferous forests.
False chanterellePoisonousIn season nowFalse chanterelleHygrophoropsis aurantiacaThe orange twin of the chanterelle with thin, branched gills. Not edible: may cause digestive upset. Grows from August to October.
Common wall lizardCommon wall lizardPodarcis muralisA nimble lizard of rocks, walls, and ruins. In the Carpathians, it lives in Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania; it is absent from the Ukrainian Carpathians.