Zion Canyon National Park is a veritable botanic wonderland. From the cactus found on the dry desert floor to the mossy gardens growing from the springs leaking down the sand stone cliffs, Zion National Park offers an amazing cross section of plant life.
 Trees can be found growing along the Virgin River and out of the cracks in the sandstone cliffs. The river offers a damp and welcome place for box elder, willow, cottonwood and ash trees. These wonderful groves of trees give the park a full array of seasonal colors. The happy pastels of springs blossoms and new leaves are alive and shine throughout the park from mid-March until mid-May. Summer brings dark greens to the canyon while autumn fills the park with vibrant orange, gold, yellow and red. Fall colors can be seen in the park as late as November each year. Winter colors at Zion are more mute, but just as beautiful. The wonderful grays and tans seen during the final season of the year give the landscape of the park a dramatic feel.
Juniper, pinyon pine, live oak and manzanita trees can be seen clinging to life on the steep sandstone cliffs. Many a person have wondered why they choose to grow in such a precarious spot; and how they can survive with so little water. These questions may just remain forever unanswered. Flowers are abundant in the park during the spring and summer seasons. Spring brings a pallet of color to Zion Canyon. Pastel colored blooms burst from the trees along the river. Wildflowers are scattered throughout the meadows of the park and entice insects with the reds, yellows, purples, oranges and whites of their flower.
Flower types found in Zion National Park include:
• Sand buttercup
• Indian paintbrush
• Chorispora
• Orchid
• Sego lily
• Columbine
• Monkey flower
• And many more.
Several types of cactus, yucca and sagebrush also thrive in Zion Canyon, and they bloom in spring as well. Summer brings heat and while sunflowers can still be seen smiling through the heat of the day, the blooms of most plants either fade or only open in the cool of the evening and night. Primrose, four o'clock, spiderwort and sacred datura are just a few of the flowers found blooming for the midnight sun.  A wide verity of ferns and mosses can be found growing in and around the springs that leak from the sandstone walls of the canyon. To find these unlikely desert plants visitors should hike the Emerald Pools, Narrows or Weeping Rock trails.
This is but a few of the more than 800 native plant species that can be found throughout Zion Canyon National Park. Visitors to the park are encouraged to take time to see the plant life that adds so much to this scenic wonderland called Zion. |
