Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Petrified Forest National Park Arizona Common Plants Within each category, species are listed alphabetically by scientific name. Non-native, often noxious and invasive, plants are marked with an *. Trees 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 wildflowers. Unfortunately, some native plants are threatened by invasive non-native weeds, including tamarix and bindweed, an issue both within the park and beyond its boundaries. With thousands of species of plants in the park, only a sampling of species is featured here. Elaeagnus angustifolia* Russian olive Juniperus monosperma one seed juniper Juniperus osteosperma Utah juniper Pinus edulis twoneedle pinyon, pinyon pine Populus angustifoia narrowleaf cottonwood Populus deltoides ssp. wislizeni Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii Fremont cottonwood Salix exigua narrow leaf willow, coyote willow Salix gooddingii Goodding’s willow Tamarix chinensis* fivestamen tamarix, saltcedar Artemisia bigelovii Bigelow’s sage Artemisia filifolia sand sagebrush Atriplex canescens fourwing saltbush Atriplex confertifolia shadescale saltbush Chrysothamnus greenei Greene’s rabbitbrush Ephedra viridis Mormon tea Ericameria nauseosa ssp. nauseosa var. nauseosa rubber rabbitbrush Eriogonum corymbosum var. aureum crispleaf buckwheat, corymb buckwheat Forestiera pubescens var. pubescens desert olive, New Mexico privet Krascheninnikovia lanata winterfat Lycium pallidum pale wolfberry Purshia stansburiana Stansbury cliffrose Poliomintha incana hoary rosemarymint Rhus trilobata skunkbush sumac Salsola tragus* prickly Russian thistle, tumbleweed Sarcobatus vermiculatus greasewood Cylindropuntia whipplei Whipple cholla Echinocereus coccineus var. coccineus scarlet hedgehog cactus Escobaria vivipara var. arizonica Arizona spinystar Opuntia erinacea grizzlybear pricklypear Opuntia fragilis brittle pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza var. macrorhiza twistspine pricklypear, plains pricklypear Sclerocactus papyracanthus paperspine fishhook cactus One seed juniper Shrubs Fourwing saltbush Cactus Pricklypear Often Overlooked Orobanche ludoviciana ssp. multiflora manyflowered broomrape Phoradendron juniperinum juniper mistletoe There are also many species of lichens and mosses in the park. Lichen Xanthoria elegans Subshrubs and Perennials Banana yucca Snakeweed Annuals and Biennials Evening primrose Grasses, Reeds, and Sedges Blue grama grass Abronia fragrans snowball sand verbena, fragrant sandverbena Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis Western yarrow, milfoil yarrow Alhagi maurorum* camelthorn Argemone pleiacantha southwestern pricklypoppy Asclepias subverticillata horsetail milkweed Astragalus amphioxys var. amphioxys crescent milkvetch Astragalus flavus yellow milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus var. diphysus specklepod milkvetch, freckled milkvetch Astragalus mollissimus var. thompsoniae woolly locoweed Calochortus aureus golden mariposa lily Calylophus lavandulifolius lavenderleaf sundrops Castilleja spp.paintbursh Chaetopappa ericoides rose heath Clematis ligusticifolia western white clematis, whitevirgins-bower Comandra umbellata ssp. pallida pale bastard toadflax Convolvulus arvensis* field bindweed Cryptantha flava Brenda’s yellow catseye, yellow cryptanth Cymopterus acaulis var. fendleri Fendler’s springparsley Cymopterus bulbosus bulbous springparsley, corkwing, chimaya Dalea candida var. oligophylla white prairieclover Delphinium scaposum tall mountain larkspur Descurainia pinnata western tansymustard Erigeron compactus fernleaf fleabane, fern-leaf daisy Erigeron concinnus mound daisy Erysimum capitatum var. purshii Pursh’s wallflower Frasera speciosa showy frasera Gaillardia pinnatifida red dome blanketflower, Hopi blanketflower Gilia rigidula ssp. acerosa bluebowls Grindelia nuda var. aphanactis curlytop gumweed Grindelia squarrosa curlycup gumweed Gutierrezia sarothrae broom snakeweed Heliomeris multiflora var. multiflora showy goldeneye Lepidium montanum var. glabrum mountain pepperweed Lesquerella sp. bladderpod Linum lewisii prairie flax Lygodesmia arizonica Arizona skeleton plant Machaeranthera canescens spp. hoary tansyaster Medicago sativa* alfalfa, lucern Mentzelia multiflora mayflowered mentzelia, Adonis blazingstar Mirabilis multiflora Colorado four o’ clock, large four o’ clock Oenothera flava yellow eveningprimrose Oenothera spp. white eveningprimrose Psilostrophe tagetina woolly paperflower Ratibida columnifera upright prairie coneflower Senecio flaccidus var. flaccidus threadleaf groundsel Solanum elaeagnifolium silverleaf nightshade Sophora stenophylla fingerleaf necklace pod, silvery sophora Sphaeralcea spp. globemallow Stanleya pinnata desert princeplume Thelesperma megapotamicum Hopi tea, greenthread Townsendia incana hoary townsendia Yucca angustissima var. angustissima fineleaf yucca, narrow-leaved yucca Yucca baccata banana yucca Zinnia grandiflora Rocky Mountain zinnia Camissonia scapoidea barestem eveningprimrose Chaenactis stevioides Steve’s dustymaiden Cleome serrulata Rocky Mountain beeplant Dimorphocarpa wislizeni touristplant, spectaclepod Erigeron divergens spreading fleabane, spreading daisy Erigeron flagellaris trailing fleabane Erodium cicutarium* redstem stork’s bill Gaura mollis velvetweed, willow gaura Helianthus annuus common sunflower Heliotropium convolvulaceum phlox heliotrope, showy heliotrope Heterotheca subaxillaris camphorweed, sand goldenaster Heterotheca villosa hairy false goldenaster Ipomopsis longiflora flaxflowered ipomopsis Lupinus pusillus var. intermontanus intermountain lupine, dwarf lupine Malacothrix fendleri sowthistle desert dandelion Oenothera spp. eveningprimrose Pectis angustifolia lemon scent Phacelia crenulata var. corrugata cleftleaf wildheiotrope Phacelia integrifolia var. integrifolia gypsum scorpionweed Phacelia ivesiana Ives’ phacelia Portulaca oleracea* purslane Townsendia annua annual townsend daisy Verbascum thapsus* common mullein, woolly mullein Achnatherum hymenoides Indian ricegrass Aristida purpurea var. longiseta Fendler threeawn, purple threeawn Bouteloua curtipendula var. curtipendula sideoats grama Bouteloua gracilis blue grama Bromus japonicus* Japanese brome Chloris virgata feather fingergrass Dasyochloa pulchella low woollygrass, fluffgrass Eragrostis intermedia plains lovegrass Hesperostipa comata var. comata needle and thread grass Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis bearded sprangletop Muhlenbergia torreyi ring muhly Panicum obtusum obtuse panicgrass, vine mesquite Phragmites australis common reed Pleuraphis jamesii James’ galleta Schizachyrium scoparium ssp. neomexicaum New Mexico little bluestem Sporobolus airoides alkali sacaton Sporobolus cryptandrus sand dropseed Cyperus squarrosus bearded flatsedge Eleocharis palustris common spiderush, creeping spikerush Juncus bufonius toadrush Schoenoplectus maritimus cosmopolitan bulrush Typha domingensis southern cattail, common cattail 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. www.nps.gov/pefo EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA April 2013