Plants

Small white flowers in bloom.

NPS / Beth Hudick

 

Despite the dry climate, there’s likely to be something blooming at Pinnacles no matter what the time of year. Pinnacles is noteable for the wide variation of its plant communities. From arid sandy washes to deep canyons with permanent water, Pinnacles can be a land of extremes. When combined with intense seasonal variation, the effect is a landscape with many different kinds of habitat in close proximity. Download the comprehensive Pinnacles Vascular Plant List.

 
Landscape image showing vegetation at Pinnacles.
Plant Communities

Explore the habitats that make Pinnacles unique.

Specimens from rock and scree habitat, Pinnacles Digital Herbarium.
Digital Herbarium

Visit our natural history collection, maintained to document the park's biodiversity and to support park's resource management program.

Capture of the Pinnacles vegetation map. Colors indicate different vegetation types.
Vegetation Mapping

Researchers have created a vegetation map that shows how different plant communities are distributed throughout the park.

Manzanita grows on a rocky surface at Pinnacles.
Trees and Shrubs

Pinnacles hosts varieties of oak, pine, buckeye, manzanita, and more.

Close up of rough leaves of Marrium vulgare, an invasive plant at Pinnacles.
Invasive Plants

Some plants at Pinnacles present a threat to the biodiversity of the park. Learn more about how park biologists manage invasive plants.

Close up of licorice fern.
Ferns

Discover the fern species that thrive in the niches of Pinnacles ecosystems.

Close up of purple flower, Larkspur.
Wildflowers

Learn about what's blossoming at Pinnacles and how to identify colorful flowers you might see during your visit.

Close up of Texosporium lichen.
Lichens

Many of PInnacles' rock surfaces appear to be painted in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, and brown from lichen growth.

 

Last updated: April 25, 2020

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

5000 East Entrance Road
Paicines, CA 95043

Phone:

831 389-4486
Please call the number above for all park related inquiries. For camping questions contact the Pinnacles Campground at (831) 200-1722. For the park book store, please call (831) 389-4485.

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