Of all the living things that inhabit Algonquin Park, none are more important than plants. Plants almost completely blanket the landscape of the Park; they have an overwhelming influence in the lives of other organisms such as animals and fungi; and in form and colour, they are profoundly pleasing to the human eye.

Yet in spite of all of this, the plants of Algonquin are very often taken for granted. Except for the beauty of the Park's wildflowers, or during the peak of fall colours, many people pay hardly any real attention to our plants and as a result, are unaware of just how interesting they actually are.

Many people fail to realize, for example, how the beautiful Pitcher-plant of our Spruce Bogs, has adapted to living in a nutrient poor environment by capturing, drowning, and digesting insects to increase its intake of nutrients like nitrogen. Other people may not understand the incredibly complex relationship between flowers such as the Pink Lady's-slipper and the insects that are responsible for pollinating them.

There are four publications on Algonquin's plants produced by The Friends of Algonquin Park. The book, Trees of Algonquin Provincial Park describes the 34 native tree species found here, and along with beautiful colour photographs helps you to identify these trees, while the text explains how each succeeds in the struggle to survive and the influences they have on other plants and animals. Wildflowers of Algonquin Provincial Park introduces you to the common wildflowers found in the Park and is similar in format to the tree book. The Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Algonquin and the Checklist of the Bryophytes of Algonquin Provincial Park are in our technical bulletin series and together list all of the plants known from the Park. All of the above books can ordered from The Friends of Algonquin Park or purchased at various locations throughout the Park.

Park visitors can learn to appreciate the complexity and importance of our plants by joining a Park Naturalist on a tree or wildflower walk, or by attending an evening program on wildflowers. Such events are offered to Park visitors during the summer months through our Summer Interpretive Program . In addition, school and youth groups visiting the Park may be interested in programs such as Algonquin's Giants offered through our Group Education Program