Petrified Forest U.S

Home , Abronia fragrans, Chaetopappa ericoides, Comandra, Lycium pallidum, Orobanche ludoviciana

National Park Service Petrified Forest U.S. Department of the Interior Petrified Forest National Park Arizona Common Plants

The environment of Petrified Forest is amazingly diverse, from the open grassland to the intimacy of a small seep spring. Types of plants change with the various habitats, such as the open woodlands along the Painted Desert Rim and mesa tops with juniper, crispleaf buckwheat, and cliffroses while grasses like needle and thread and sideoats grama dominate the open prairie. Animals depend on plants for food and shelter. People enjoy the shade beneath rustling cottonwoods and the beauty of

Within each category, species are wildflowers. Unfortunately, some native plants are threatened by invasive non-native listed alphabetically by scientific weeds, including tamarix and bindweed, an issue both within the park and beyond name. Non-native, often noxious its boundaries. With thousands of species of plants in the park, only a sampling of and invasive, plants are marked with an *. species is featured here.

Trees Elaeagnus angustifolia* Russian olive Salix exigua narrow leaf willow, coyote willow Juniperus monosperma one seed juniper Salix gooddingii Goodding’s willow Juniperus osteosperma Utah juniper Tamarix chinensis* fivestamen tamarix, saltcedar Pinus edulis twoneedle pinyon, pinyon pine Populus angustifoia narrowleaf cottonwood Populus deltoides ssp. wislizeni Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii Fremont cottonwood

One seed juniper

Shrubs Artemisia bigelovii Bigelow’s sage Krascheninnikovia lanata winterfat Artemisia filifoliasand sagebrush Lycium pallidum pale wolfberry Atriplex canescens fourwing saltbush Purshia stansburiana Stansbury cliffrose Atriplex confertifolia shadescale saltbush Poliomintha incana hoary rosemarymint Chrysothamnus greenei Greene’s rabbitbrush Rhus trilobata skunkbush sumac Ephedra viridis Mormon tea Salsola tragus* prickly Russian thistle, tumbleweed Ericameria nauseosa ssp. nauseosa var. nauseosa Sarcobatus vermiculatus greasewood rubber rabbitbrush Eriogonum corymbosum var. aureum crispleaf Fourwing saltbush buckwheat, corymb buckwheat Forestiera pubescens var. pubescens desert olive, New Mexico privet

Cactus Cylindropuntia whipplei Whipple cholla pricklypear, plains pricklypear Echinocereus coccineus var. coccineus scarlet Sclerocactus papyracanthus paperspine hedgehog cactus fishhook cactus Escobaria vivipara var. arizonica Arizona spinystar Opuntia erinacea grizzlybear pricklypear Opuntia fragilis brittle pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza var. macrorhiza twistspine Pricklypear

Often Overlooked Orobanche ludoviciana ssp. multifloramanyflowered broomrape Phoradendron juniperinum juniper mistletoe

There are also many species of lichens and mosses in the park. Lichen Xanthoria elegans Subshrubs Abronia fragrans snowball sand verbena, fragrant Gaillardia pinnatifida red dome blanketflower, and Perennials sandverbena Hopi blanketflower Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis Western yarrow, Gilia rigidula ssp. acerosa bluebowls milfoil yarrow Grindelia nuda var. aphanactis curlytop gumweed Alhagi maurorum* camelthorn Grindelia squarrosa curlycup gumweed Argemone pleiacantha southwestern pricklypoppy Gutierrezia sarothrae broom snakeweed Asclepias subverticillata horsetail milkweed Heliomeris multiflora var. multiflora showy Astragalus amphioxys var. amphioxys crescent goldeneye milkvetch Lepidium montanum var. glabrum mountain Astragalus flavus yellow milkvetch pepperweed Astragalus lentiginosus var. diphysus specklepod Lesquerella sp. bladderpod milkvetch, freckled milkvetch Linum lewisii prairie flax Astragalus mollissimus var. thompsoniae woolly Lygodesmia arizonica Arizona skeleton plant locoweed Machaeranthera canescens spp. hoary tansyaster Calochortus aureus golden mariposa lily Medicago sativa* alfalfa, lucern Calylophus lavandulifolius lavenderleaf sundrops Mentzelia multifloramayflowered mentzelia, Adonis Castilleja spp.paintbursh blazingstar Banana yucca Chaetopappa ericoides rose heath Mirabilis multiflora Colorado four o’ clock, large four Clematis ligusticifolia western white clematis, white- o’ clock virgins-bower Oenothera flava yellow eveningprimrose Comandra umbellata ssp. pallida pale bastard toadflax Oenothera spp. white eveningprimrose Convolvulus arvensis* field bindweed Psilostrophe tagetina woolly paperflower Cryptantha flava Brenda’s yellow catseye, yellow Ratibida columnifera upright prairie coneflower cryptanth Senecio flaccidusvar . flaccidusthreadleaf groundsel Cymopterus acaulis var. fendleri Fendler’s springparsley Solanum elaeagnifolium silverleaf nightshade Cymopterus bulbosus bulbous springparsley, corkwing, Sophora stenophylla fingerleaf necklace pod, silvery chimaya sophora Dalea candida var. oligophylla white prairieclover Sphaeralcea spp. globemallow Delphinium scaposum tall mountain larkspur Stanleya pinnata desert princeplume Descurainia pinnata western tansymustard Thelesperma megapotamicum Hopi tea, greenthread Erigeron compactus fernleaf fleabane, Townsendia incana hoary townsendia fern-leaf daisy Yucca angustissima var. angustissima fineleaf yucca, Erigeron concinnus mound daisy narrow-leaved yucca Erysimum capitatum var. purshii Pursh’s wallflower Yucca baccata banana yucca Snakeweed Frasera speciosa showy frasera Zinnia grandifloraRocky Mountain zinnia

Annuals and Biennials Camissonia scapoidea barestem eveningprimrose Ipomopsis longifloraflaxflowered ipomopsis Chaenactis stevioides Steve’s dustymaiden Lupinus pusillus var. intermontanus intermountain Cleome serrulata Rocky Mountain beeplant lupine, dwarf lupine Dimorphocarpa wislizeni touristplant, spectaclepod Malacothrix fendleri sowthistle desert dandelion Erigeron divergens spreading fleabane, spreading Oenothera spp. eveningprimrose daisy Pectis angustifolia lemon scent Erigeron flagellaristrailing fleabane Phacelia crenulata var. corrugata cleftleaf Erodium cicutarium* redstem stork’s bill wildheiotrope Gaura mollis velvetweed, willow gaura Phacelia integrifolia var. integrifolia gypsum Helianthus annuus common sunflower scorpionweed Heliotropium convolvulaceum phlox heliotrope, Phacelia ivesiana Ives’ phacelia showy heliotrope Portulaca oleracea* purslane Heterotheca subaxillaris camphorweed, Townsendia annua annual townsend daisy Evening primrose sand goldenaster Verbascum thapsus* common mullein, woolly mullein Heterotheca villosa hairy false goldenaster

Grasses, Reeds, and Achnatherum hymenoides Indian ricegrass Pleuraphis jamesii James’ galleta Sedges Aristida purpurea var. longiseta Fendler threeawn, Schizachyrium scoparium ssp. neomexicaum New purple threeawn Mexico little bluestem Bouteloua curtipendula var. curtipendula sideoats Sporobolus airoides alkali sacaton grama Sporobolus cryptandrus sand dropseed Bouteloua gracilis blue grama Cyperus squarrosus bearded flatsedge Bromus japonicus* Japanese brome Eleocharis palustris common spiderush, creeping Chloris virgata feather fingergrass spikerush Dasyochloa pulchella low woollygrass, fluffgrass Juncus bufonius toadrush Eragrostis intermedia plains lovegrass Schoenoplectus maritimus cosmopolitan bulrush Hesperostipa comata var. comata needle and Typha domingensis southern cattail, common cattail thread grass Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis bearded sprangletop Muhlenbergia torreyi ring muhly Panicum obtusum obtuse panicgrass, vine mesquite Phragmites australis common reed Blue grama grass

Taking Care of the Wild National parks create oases of protection for many species of plants in a fragmented environment. Do not harm, disturb, or remove any plants in Petrified Forest or any other national park area. Leave them for other visitors to enjoy.