In the Silesian Upland (southern Poland), stands of rare mountainous plant species, i.e. Doronicum austriacum, Equisetum telmateia, and Veratrum lobelianum, were recorded close to the River Jamna and the coal mine waste tip Halemba. The species grew in two sites: semi-natural and anthropogenic ones. Soils in the anthropogenic site are more acid, with higher contents of Mg, K, Ca, and Na, but soils of the semi-natural site are richer in P. Vegetation varied in composition of accompanying species between two sites, and the distance to water differentiates the abundance of the focal species. The results demonstrate that artifical springs may creates favorable conditions for rare species.