This is a list of plants that are endemic to the Appalachian Mountains of North America.
The Appalachian Mountains of Eastern North America are a biodiversity hotspot. [1] [2] Like other mountains, the Appalachians have high rates of endemism because they create isolated "islands" of unique habitat conditions distant from other, similar habitats. The high elevations of the Appalachians functioned as refugia at the end of the last ice age, and house many relict taxa that were more widespread in Southeastern North America when the climate was cooler. [3] [4] Together with the rugged, heterogenous topography and mild, wet climate, these factors make the Appalachians one of the most biodiverse temperate regions in the world. [5]