Part 7

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.