Part 2

This red-berried Elder is found the most abundantly at Cedar Breaks. It is also common along the highways through forested areas of the region.

The clusters of small white flowers that come on usually in June or July give way to bright-red berries in August and present a most attractive display.

Most Elders are edible and are eaten by birds and rodents. Some people gather the berries for wines and jellies. This species, however, is considered poisonous, and cases of poisoning have been reported from eating the berries, flowers, roots and bark.

The stalks of some Elders are pithy and fairly easily hollowed out. Indians used the stalks for making flutes.

32. LITTLELEAF MOUNTAINMAHOGANY Rose Family _Cercocarpus intricatus_

This low-growing shrub is fairly important as winter browse for deer and other browsing animals. The leathery leaves are evergreen, rather narrow, pointed at both ends and curled backwards from the sides. The flowers are very small and inconspicuous, but the fruits, with their long plumes, present an interesting display. The dead wood of this shrub is very useful to campers, as it burns with extremely hot flame and gives off very little smoke.

33. STANSBURY CLIFFROSE Rose Family _Cowania stansburiana_

In Zion this shrub is usually found at elevations above 4,000 feet, and it generally grows to be 6 to 8 feet high. During May and June its creamy-white flowers are suggestive of the Wild Rose. The habitat of the Cliffrose is the warm, dry slopes among the Pinyon and Juniper. Its twigs and evergreen leaves are browsed extensively by deer and other animals. The fragrance of this plant in bloom is remarkable and reminds one of Orange blossoms. The fruits are achenes and have pale, silky-haired tails 2 or more inches in length, which at times are very showy.

34. ANTELOPE BITTERBRUSH Rose Family _Purshia tridentata_

This shrub looks much like the Cliffrose, except for size. It is lower growing, has smaller pale-yellow flowers and its fruits are not plumed. The stubby, fan-shaped leaves are three pointed like those of the Big Sagebrush.

Bitterbrush is found most commonly on the warm, dry slopes above 4,000 feet, where it provides valuable year-round browse for deer and other animals. It is also known as Antelopebrush and Quininebush.

35. BLACKBRUSH Rose Family _Colegyne ramosissima_

A member of the Rose Family found mostly in the Sonoran Zones of Zion National Park. Several plants may be seen near the South Entrance Station. It is well named, as it has a burned and dead appearance during much of the year; however in late April and May it puts out minute grey-green leaves and creamy-yellow flowers made up of four sepals and no petals. The stamens are numerous. The Cliffrose, Bitterbrush and Mountain-mahogany are closely related to the Blackbrush.

36. BUSH CINQUEFOIL Rose Family _Potentilla fruticosa_

Found most commonly at Cedar Breaks, this member of the Rose Family puts on a very showy display for a brief period of the summer, generally in July or earlier at lower elevations. It is a shrub commonly 2 to 3 feet high with leaves that are five-parted, hence the name Cinquefoil. The shrub is often dotted all over with rose-like flowers, about an inch across, with clear-yellow petals and deeper yellow anthers. The plant is common in the mountains, across the continent, up to altitudes of 10,000 feet or more.

37. PRAIRIESMOKE Rose Family _Geum triflorum var. ciliatum_

This graceful plant, with its nodding, bell-shaped, pink-colored flowers, is found fairly abundantly in the alpine meadows of Cedar Breaks National Monument.

The plant has a number of common names such as: China Bells, Oldman-Whiskers, and Grandfather’s-beard. The silvery, plumose tails of the fruit present an attractive display, especially as the sun’s rays light the waving plumes in late afternoon or early morning.

Prairiesmoke plants are considered good forage for several animals, and the bumblebees gather its pollen for honey.

38. WILD ROSE Rose Family _Rosa sp._

There are two species of the Wild Rose in Zion and two other species in Bryce Canyon, three of which are found at Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Wild Roses are widely distributed in the northern hemisphere and are too familiar to need much description. The flowers are fairly fragrant and have bright-pink petals with a large cluster of yellow stamens. The fruit of the rose, shaped like a small apple, turns a deep-red color late in the season and adds beauty to this plant during autumn.

39. SERVICEBERRY Rose Family _Amelanchier alnifolia_

One of the very early blooming shrubs or small trees in Zion Canyon, and often seen in March or April as conspicuous white masses on the canyon walls among the Pinyon and Juniper trees, is the Serviceberry.

The white flowers occur in clusters and look much like a fruit tree in bloom. The berry is shaped like a very small apple, insipid to the taste, but nevertheless used extensively by the Indians and early settlers for food. The plant has a variety of common names, including the following: Juneberry, Shadbush, Saskatoon, Sarviceberry and Pigeonberry.

40. CHOKECHERRY Rose Family _Prunus virginiana_

Chokecherry bushes or small trees are fairly common at elevations around 6,000 feet in these areas. Early in May, and sometimes even earlier, the white and fragrant blossoms present a pleasing sight. In July or August the ripened cherries supply food for humans, many birds and small animals.

The first autumn colors are often the Chokecherry leaves as they turn scarlet, brown and red.

These shrubs are browsed heavily by cattle and some by deer, especially if other forage is scarce.

41. HONEY MESQUITE Pea Family _Prosopis juliflora_

A low-growing tree of the Lower Sonoran Zone. Uncommon in Zion but fairly abundant in the desert area adjacent to the park. In early spring during March and April bright-green leaves cover the tree, and often it is laden with catkinlike clusters of greenish-yellow flowers, which attract myriads of insects including the honey bees.

The wood of this tree was used extensively by early settlers for fuel, building corrals and in making furniture and utensils. The fruit of the Mesquite, resembling a string bean, is used for food by many animals. Indians also made wide use of it by grinding the beans into a meal called “Pinole.”

42. LUPINE Pea Family _Lupinus sp._

There are so many varieties of Lupine that it is most difficult to identify the numerous species. In this area they are found abundantly on the high plateaus, being especially plentiful at Cedar Breaks, where they fill whole meadows with a mass of blue color in midsummer.

The Lupines range in color from pale pink to deep purple, with some white, cream or yellow, but most of them are blue. Like other plants of the Pea Family, Lupines add nitrogen to the soil and thereby improve the land on which they grow. The seeds of a few species contain alkaloids which are poisonous to livestock, especially sheep.

43. LOCO Pea Family _Astragalus sp._

This very large genus of plants ranges from the hottest parts of the desert to high mountain peaks and far to the North. More than a dozen species are found in the Zion Region.

Some of the species contain a poisonous constituent causing, the often fatal, loco disease of livestock, particularly in horses.

Loco is a Spanish word meaning “Crazy.” Other species known as Poisonvetch, prefer soils rich in selenium, and take up enough of that toxic mineral to make them poisonous to livestock, especially sheep. The harmless species are called Milkvetch.

Nearly all the species are colorful and spectacular when in blossom, but some of them have a rank, disagreeable odor.

44. POISONVETCH Pea Family _Astragalus sabulonum_

This showy species of Astragalus is locally called Rattleweed because, when it is in fruit, its large, bladder-like, thin-walled pods become very brittle and give a distinct rattling sound when shaken. The pods are about one and a half inches long and heavily mottled reddish-brown in color.

The genus of Astragalus has been divided into three groups: Loco, Milkvetch and Poisonvetch. The species poisonous to livestock are commonly called Loco Weeds.

45. NEW MEXICO LOCUST Pea Family _Robinia neomexicana_

This shrub or small tree is fairly common in Zion Canyon. It was probably brought in by the early settlers. Its large, showy flower grows in clusters at the ends of slender branches. The blooming season is during May and June.

The tree is very thorny and has the habit of sprouting from roots or stumps and of forming dense thickets which are valuable in controlling erosion. The foliage serves as food for browsing animals, especially the deer.

46. DESERTBEAUTY DALEA Pea Family _Dalea johnsoni_

Sometimes confused with the Desert Sage or more commonly called the Purple Sage, which it resembles to some extent, this small shrub with light-gray bark, small, gray-green leaves and terminal spikes of brilliant-purple flowers is one of the most pleasing sights in early summer.

In Zion it is found mostly in the Coalpits Wash and Shunes Creek areas and blooms generally during May. Desertbeauty is a close relative of the “Smoke Tree” of the Desert.

47. FREMONT GERANIUM Geranium Family _Geranium fremontii_

This beautiful, midsummer-blooming plant, growing about two feet high, is common on the plateaus and in the cool canyons.

The pink, veined petals, deeply lobed leaves and characteristic geranium odor help identify this plant. Some species have white flowers, but they are not common in this area. The flowers are perfect with five sepals, five petals, and five to ten stamens. The fruit is a long capsule and has given rise to the common name Cranesbill.

Cultivated Geraniums are really Pelargoniums from South Africa.

48. ALFILERIA Geranium Family _Erodium cicutarium_

This low-growing plant, spreading close to the ground, with its finely divided leaves and small, starry-pink flowers, puts on a remarkable display in the open meadows of the large canyons. It is one of the earliest blooming species in Zion Canyon, and in seasons of abundant rain it often presents the appearance of a pale-purple lawn.

On ripening, the seed capsules split open and shoot out the seeds—each with a tiny hook in its nose and a tail with successive tight coils like a corkscrew. The seed is apparently screwed into the ground by alternating moisture and dryness which winds and unwinds the seed plume.

49. LEWIS FLAX Flax Family _Linum lewisii_

Here in Zion during May and June, growing along the trails on the plateaus and in cool canyons, you will find the beautiful and delicate blue flowers of the Wild Flax. The flower is nearly an inch across and has five sepals and five petals borne at the top of a slender stem having narrow leaves. At Bryce Canyon this plant is more abundant than at Zion or Cedar Breaks.

Wild Flax was named in honor of Captain Meriwether Lewis, who first discovered it, near the continental divide, during the famed Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806.

50. CREOSOTEBUSH Caltrop Family _Larrea tridentata_

Probably the most characteristic shrub of the arid valleys and mesas of the Southwest is the Creosotebush, which is sometimes erroneously called Greasewood.

At times this plant fills the air with a peculiar pungent aroma that gives rise to the common name Creosotebush. Mexicans call it “Hediondilla” the (Little Bad Smeller.)

A sticky resin on the leaves is used as a poultice for bruises and sores. A resinous gum or lac deposited by scale insects on the branches is used by the Indians as a cement for fixing arrow points and mending of pottery.

51. WHITEMARGIN EUPHORBIA Spurge Family _Euphorbia albomarginata_

This low-growing plant with abundant small, round or oval leaves and tiny white flowers is commonly called Carpetweed because of the manner in which it spreads over the ground.

Found mostly in the dry sandy soils, this plant serves as an excellent soil binder and is very helpful in preventing erosion.

The milky juice of this species is considered toxic and may cause dermatitis in susceptible persons. It is also known as Rattlesnake Feed and popularly supposed to be efficacious in treating snake bite.

52. SCARLET GLOBEMALLOW Mallow Family _Sphaeralcea coccinea_

Very commonly found along the roadsides and especially prominent in the campgrounds or other disturbed areas. This member of the Mallow Family presents a lovely coral-red display as early as May, and it continues blooming throughout much of the summer.

Cotton belongs to this large and important family, which also contains such ornamental plants as the Hollyhock. Extensive fields of this flower present brilliant displays of orange.

53. DESERT GLOBEMALLOW Mallow Family _Sphaeralcea ambigua_

Found most commonly along the roads and trails, this member of the Mallow Family is known by a variety of common names such as: Rose of Sharon, False Mallow and Wild Hollyhock. It generally blooms in late summer, especially in the Cedar Breaks region. The plants sometimes grow to be 4 to 5 feet tall and have a great profusion of pink-colored flowers, really a very colorful and attractive display.

54. FIREWEED Evening-primrose Family _Epilobium angustifolium_

This tall, willowy plant, called Fireweed, is frequently the first plant to come in after a forest fire. Its colorful bloom gives new life to the blackened ground. Fireweed is one of the world’s most widely disseminated wild flowers, being found throughout much of northern North America, Europe and parts of Asia. Its seeds are scattered by the wind. In these areas it is found mostly on the high plateaus.

55. WOODLAND PINEDROPS Indian Pipe Family _Pterospora andromedea_

In the rich soil of the Ponderosa Pine forest of the high plateaus you may occasionally see this peculiar plant called Pinedrops. It has a single reddish-brown stalk (no green parts at all) about a foot or two high, apparently without leaves (they are mere scales), and numerous round or bell-shaped blossoms or seed pods hanging from short stems. The stalk is generally sticky with a material much like the pitch of the pine trees. It is a parasite that lives on the roots of pine trees.

56. YELLOW VIOLET Violet Family _Viola praemorsa_

There are five different species of Violets in Zion, two of them with yellow flowers and the others with white or purple. They are found blooming in May or June on the high plateaus or sometimes later in the wet meadows of Cedar Breaks or in shady canyons. Violets are closely related to the cultivated Pansies. The flowers are irregular, as one petal has a saclike spur which contains nectar. They have five sepals, five petals and five stamens. This species is found most commonly in the shady forest, while the purple and white species are more common in the very moist and cool areas of the shady canyons.

57. DESERT BLAZINGSTAR Loasa Family _Mentzelia multiflora_

Blazingstars, sometimes called “Stickleaf” because of their rough, hairy leaves, are plants well suited to the drought conditions of this area, as they adapt well to dry, rocky soil. They are often found in roadside cuts or other newly disturbed soils and are found blooming usually in July and August. They are conspicuous with their yellow flowers consisting of five long petals and a large number of stamens almost as long as the petals that attract the eye as they blaze forth in the bright sunlight of midsummer. These plants are found mostly in the Transition Zone.

58. A HEDGEHOG CACTUS Cactus Family _Echinocereus coccineus_

This family is well represented in Zion, where ten prominent species are found, six of which are illustrated in this booklet. This species is sometimes called the Cucumber Cactus. It is found blooming in bright-red clumps as early as April or on occasion in March when the winters are not severe. Its favorite habitat appears to be the rocky slopes of the lava fields below 5,000 feet.

As cactus flowers mature into fruit, they form bulb-like bodies called tunas. The fruits of this species are about an inch or more in diameter and serve as important food for many rodents.

59. PURPLETORCH CACTUS Cactus Family _Echinocereus engelmannii_

Found mostly on the rocky slopes in the Lower Sonoran Zone, this cactus is fairly common and distinguished chiefly by its waxy and brilliantly colored purple flowers. The stems of this species are similar to those of the Cucumber Cactus except for being generally taller. The fruits are also similar, but the flowers differ as they are much larger and bright purple instead of red in color. They bloom generally during the month of May.

60. A PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS Cactus Family _Opuntia rhodantha_

The most common cactus in Zion is this species of the Prickly Pear. It is found in a great variety of habitats, even at the higher elevations. The flowers, large and spectacular in various shades of red, salmon or yellow, bloom late in May to July. Because of its long blooming season, this species is more often found in flower than any other cactus in the park. Its pear-shaped fruit, red to purple in color, is eaten by many animals as well as by the native peoples.

61. BEAVERTAIL CACTUS Cactus Family _Opuntia basilaris_

One species of cactus that at first sight does not seem to be a cactus is the Beavertail, for it is lacking the long spines characteristic of most cacti. Upon close examination, however, you will find that it is protected by numerous, fine spines. The name of this species is derived from its flat stems shaped somewhat like a small beaver’s tail. The conspicuous magenta flowers mark this species as one of the most beautiful in the park. The fruit of this species is important as animal food, especially for chipmunks and ground squirrels.

62. BUCKHORN CHOLLA CACTUS Cactus Family _Opuntia acanthocarpa_

The Cholla (pronounced Choya) Cactus is the only “tree” cactus found in Zion. It is fairly common in the Lower Sonoran Zone, especially in Coalpits Wash. Strangely enough this plant is a favorite nesting place of some desert birds, including sparrows, wrens and finches. The spreading branches seem to reach out and grab the careless hiker, and the barbed spines stick so fast in the flesh that the joint of the plant is separated from the main stem before the spines can be withdrawn. Cholla blossoms come in many shades of color with the accent on yellows and reds.

63. ENGLEMANN PRICKLYPEAR CACTUS Cactus Family _Opuntia engelmannii_

As one of the largest of the flat-jointed or Pricklypear Cacti of Zion, this species is fairly abundant in Zion Canyon and is probably the most frequently observed species because of its dense growth in certain habitats and its fairly immense size as well as its colorful display of blossoms. It is locally called Elephant Ear Cactus. In June in produces large yellow flowers, very waxy in texture.

(See Figure 64 for information concerning the fruit of this cactus.)

64. CACTUS FRUIT Cactus Family _Opuntia engelmannii_

The fruit of the Engelmann Pricklypear Cactus is similar to the fruits of many other species of cacti; it is conspicuous, being deep red in color and about the size of a large Crab Apple. It is called Tuna or locally “Cactus Apple” and ripens as early as June but more abundantly during July.

Indians of the Southwest use this fruit as an important item of their diet. Many people living in the desert have come to learn that this cactus fruit makes excellent jellies and candies. It is also feasted upon by several rodents, especially the Antelope Ground Squirrel.

65. ROUNDLEAF BUFFALOBERRY Oleaster Family _Shepherdia rotundifolia_

A low, evergreen shrub with small, oval leaves that appear to have been painted with a thin coat of aluminum paint through which the green shows faintly. It is most common in the Upper Sonoran Zone and may be found along the Canyon Overlook and Emerald Pool Trails in Zion National Park.

The pale-yellow flowers, not much over ¼ inch across, are often hidden by the leaves. They bloom early in April or sometimes in March. The fruit of a similar shrub has a tart berry that was gathered by the early pioneers and used as a sauce on Buffalo steaks, hence the name Buffaloberry.

66. WHITE EVENING-PRIMROSE Evening-primrose Family _Oenothera caespitosa_

This member of the Evening-primrose Family, with its fragrant, large white flowers, bloom early in the evening and lasts only a few hours the next day, as it turns pink and wilts.