Mesa Verde National Park - Plant Walks (U.S. National Park Service)

Suggested Plant Walks

Listed below are the best locations to view and understand the plant life in Mesa Verde National Park. Wayside exhibits and trail guides will assist you in identifying the park vegetation.

In the Headquarters Area, between the Museum and Chief Ranger's Office, small signs discuss the plants common to Mesa Verde.
Knife Edge Trail (2 miles) is accessible from Morefield Campground. Take along the trail guide to learn about park plants as well as other park topics.
Petroglyph Point Trail (2.4 miles) is located near the museum and Spruce Tree House. Take along the trail guide to learn about park plants as well as other park topics.
Spruce Tree House Trail (0.5 miles) is located near the museum. Take along the trail guide to learn about park plants as well as other park topics.

What's That Plant?

Mesa Verde is in the Upper Sonoran Life Zone. This zone is characterized by semi-arid climate, moderately high altitude, and pinyon-juniper forests. The plants listed below are typical of this region.

Common Trees and Shrubs	Common Flowers
Big sagebrush, Artemesia tridentata	Aster, Aster bigelovii
Cliff fendlerbush, Fendlera rupicola	Evening primrose, Oenothera caespitosa
Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii	Globemallow, Sphaeralcea coccinea
Gambel oak, Quercus gambelii	Indian paintbrush, Castilleja linariaefolia
Mormon tea, Ephedra viridis	Larkspur, Delphinium nelsonii
Mountain mahogany, Cerocarpus montanus	Lupine, Lupinus ammophilus
Pinyon pine, Pinus edulis	Lupine, Lupinus caudatus
Rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus nauseosus	Mariposa lily, Calochortus nuttallii
Skunkbush sumac, Rhus trilobata	Pricklypear cactus, Opuntia polycantha
Snowberry, Symphoricarpos oreophilus	Scarlet gilia, Gilia aggregata
Utah juniper, Juniperus utahensis	Scarlet penstemon, Penstemon bridgesii
Utah serviceberry, Amelanchier utahens	Penstemon, Penstemon eatonii
Yucca, Yucca baccata

For more information on plant life in Mesa Verde National Park, go to Nature & Science.