Endemic plants and trees such as the camboatá, yellow ipe, murici, cedar, samambaiaçu, orchids and bromeliads share the Park with reforested species such as cordyline, breadfruit, jackfruit, bamboo, and the jabuticabeira.

The flora of the floresta da tijuca is so dense that there is a temperature difference of nearly 10° C between the forest and the surrounding areas and the rest of Rio de Janeiro.

This is in part fueled by the close to 40 waterfallsfound in the region, and the various ponds and lakes.