Flora
The Alatau Mountains relating to Northern Tien Shan, within which is situated the National Park, have a fauna that is rich and varied for its vegetation types. Studying types of the flora in this specially protected natural area is not over yet, but it has been known that in here over 2000 plant species can be found.
Very interesting and enigmatic of them are rare kinds which are specially protected and included in the Red Book of Kazakhstan.
The area of the Ile Alatau is rich in ether-bearing plants. It is in the first place zizifora, types of mother-of-thyme, or, their common name is «creeping thyme», Hungarian catnip (catmint), and entire-leaved dragonhead, as well as common tansy, Аyania fastigiata, various species of wormwood.
Our flora of mountain gorges is rich in honey (melliferous) plants. Mountain honey, obtained from bee-gardens in the Tien Shan, is great popular among the dwellers of our country. Apart from common hardy-shrub species (apple, apricot, Tien Shan mountain ash, hawthorns, cotoneaster, pea shrubs), perennial herbs, such as origanum, Phlomis oreophila, white nettle (Lamium album), yellow bedstraw (Galium verum), leafy betony, desert sage and others, are good honey plants as well.
In the middle belt firs with grass stands are often found for which little orchid is typical, – creeping hudaier, upright geranium and specimens of Grushankoviy family – monochromatic, orteal, little pear-tree. In natural boundary of Chynturgan, in the steep slopes are developed dense close fir plantations with strong mossy cover up to 60 sm high, closing a deep layer in spring frozen earth. By pattern and composition of the flora they are similar to green strong Siberian Taiga and Oral, thus are protected in a status of monument of nature.
