Snowbasin draba facts for kids

Draba burkei is a small flowering plant. It belongs to the Brassicaceae family, also known as the mustard family. People often call it snowbasin draba or Burke's draba. This plant is very special because it is endemic to Utah in the United States. This means it only grows naturally in Utah. You can find it in Box Elder, Cache, Morgan, and Weber Counties. For a long time, scientists thought it was just a type of another plant, Draba maguirei. But in 2004, they decided it was unique enough to be its own separate species.

What is Snowbasin Draba?

Snowbasin draba is a plant that lives for many years. It grows from a thick, woody base that branches out. This plant often forms small groups or spreads out like a little carpet.

What Does It Look Like?

The stems of the snowbasin draba are very short, only a few centimeters long. Its leaves grow from the woody base and in small groups at the end of its branches. The plant produces a cluster of flowers called an inflorescence. This cluster can have up to 10 yellow flowers. Each flower has petals that are about half a centimeter long.

Where Does It Grow?

This special plant likes to grow on rocky areas. You can find it on quartzite rocks, limestone, and a type of rock called calcareous shale. These are all types of rock found in the mountains.

A Plant on the Move!

Here's an interesting story about this plant! One group of snowbasin draba plants had to be carefully dug up. They were moved to the Denver Botanic Gardens in Colorado. This happened because a new ski slope was being built in Utah. The ski slope was needed for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Moving the plants helped protect them.