Wildflowers & Flora of Skyros
The wild flora of Skyros, from spring wildflowers and endemic plants of Mount Kochylas to the thyme and pines that scent the island. What grows here and when to see it.
Last updated 29 June 2026
Skyros is famous for its horse and its falcons, but the ground beneath them is a quiet wonder in its own right. The island is a botanical mosaic, green pine forest in the north, aromatic scrub in the south, and, in spring, a scatter of wildflowers.
In short: The flora of Skyros ranges from the pine forests of the green north to the phrygana (aromatic scrub) and endemic plants of the protected south around Mount Kochylas, a Natura 2000 site. Wild thyme, which gives the island’s famous honey, covers the hills. The best time for wildflowers is spring, roughly March to May.
Two landscapes, two floras
Skyros is really two islands in one, and its plants reflect it. The north is soft and green, clothed in Aleppo pines whose resin scents the air around beaches like Atsitsa. The south is open, dry and stony, a world of phrygana, the low, aromatic Mediterranean scrub of thyme, sage and spiny shrubs that thrives in wind and sun. This southern country, dominated by Mount Kochylas, is a protected Natura 2000 biodiversity hotspot, home to endemic plants found nowhere else, alongside the semi-wild Skyrian horse and the rare Skyros lizard.
Wild thyme and herbs
The single most important plant, culturally, is wild thyme. It carpets the hillsides, perfumes the summer air, and feeds the bees that make the island’s celebrated thyme honey. Alongside it grow sage, oregano and other Mediterranean herbs that have flavoured island cooking for centuries.
When to see the wildflowers
For flowers, come in spring, roughly March to May, when the winter rains bring a brief, brilliant show across the hills and the island is at its greenest, the perfect season for walking before the summer heat. By high summer the flowers have faded, but the thyme, the pines and the endemic scrub of the south carry the island’s character right through the season.
FAQ
When is the best time to see wildflowers on Skyros? Spring, roughly March to May, after the winter rains, when the hills are green and in bloom.
What plants is Skyros known for? Wild thyme (the source of its honey), Aleppo pines in the north, and the endemic plants of the protected south around Mount Kochylas.
Why is southern Skyros protected? Mount Kochylas and the wild south are a Natura 2000 biodiversity hotspot, with endemic plants, the Skyros lizard, the Skyrian horse and Europe’s largest Eleonora’s falcon colony.
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