Flora of the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region facts for kids
The flora (which means all the plants) of the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region in the Western United States is super interesting! Plants here have special ways to live in a very dry place. The land has many different heights and soil types. This means there are many different plant groups.
Higher places are cooler. Different soils come from different rock layers that have worn away. You can find these soils from the bottom of the Colorado River canyons to the top of the plateau. Some places are not dry, like areas near rivers, springs, and special "hanging gardens." These spots have plants that don't need to be super tough against dryness.
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Amazing Plant Communities
The Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region has many different plant groups. Each group lives in a specific type of environment. These groups are called "plant communities."
Salt Desert Shrub Community
The salt desert shrub community lives in places with very salty and alkaline soils. Alkaline means the soil has a high pH, like baking soda. Plants that can live in these conditions are called halophytes. They are tough!
Some common plants you'll see here are shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus), and Mormon tea (Ephedra viridis). These plants are specially made to handle the salty ground.
Sand Desert Shrub Community
The sand desert shrub community lives in areas with lots of shifting sand or very sandy soil. Plants in this group have amazing root systems. Their roots grow very deep and spread out far. This helps them find water and also helps to hold the sand dunes in place.
You might find plants like old man sage (Artemisia filifolia), yucca, Indian ricegrass (Stipa hymenoides), and wavy leaf oak (Quercus welshii). In the Glen Canyon area, you can find this community in lower canyons and mesas up to about 4,500 feet (1,370 meters) high.
Mixed Desert Shrub Community
The mixed desert shrub community is found in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region. This community grows in many different kinds of soil that often mix together.
Some of the main plants you might see are rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus), fourwinged saltbrush (Atriplex canescens), blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima), and dwarf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus intricatus). This community is usually found at higher elevations than the sand desert shrub areas.
Mountain Brush Community
The mountain brush community covers large parts of the mountain foothills and shady canyons. It grows in areas below the Ponderosa pine forests.
This community is mostly made up of shrubby plants. You'll often see Gambel's Oak (Quercus gambelii), Utah serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis), sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), and mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus). These plants are well-suited to the cooler, shadier spots in the mountains.
