Low, dense forests of pine and oak, ribbons of cedar and hardwood swamps bordering drainage courses, pitch pine lowlands, and bogs and marshes combine to produce an expansive vegetative mosaic unsurpassed in the Northeast.

The Pinelands also contains over 12,000 acres of "pygmy forest," a unique stand of dwarf, but mature, pine and oak less than 11 feet tall.

Here can be found 850 species of plants, including rare plants such as the curly grass fern, and broom crowberry.

The region contains unusual range overlaps where species of 109 southern plants and 14 northern plants reach their respective geographic limits.

Development of the unique flora of the Pinelands is also closely related to the occurrence of fire.