In the Paddepoel you will find a unique combination of species such as blue button, caraway, tormentil, cat's thorn, pale sedge, wild bertram and umbrella hawkweed. In early spring, hundreds of wood anemones bloom, a very rare phenomenon in grasslands. The fact that the wood anemones bloom there shows that it is a very old and undisturbed grassland.
Thanks to 25 years of targeted management, several rare species have increased significantly. There are thousands of caraway, one of the largest Flemish populations. Yellow-green sedge first emerged in 2013 and is doing well.
The Paddepoel is home to grasslands with lots of knotweed, sweet grass, large hawkweed and golden oat. In addition, there is a marsh marigold grassland with lots of field rush, two-row sedge and rough bedstraw. Broad-leaved orchis is expected here soon.
Natuurpunt has also dug and restored a number of ponds in the Paddepoel. Salamanders feel very comfortable there. The alpine newt and small newt already live in the oldest part of the Paddepoel, but we hope that the endangered crested newt will also discover the pools.