Zion National Park is home to more than a hundred different grasses, over a dozen different species of ferns, thirty to forty varieties of trees, and hundreds of types of shrubs. Inside this gallery is a rather small sampling of what Zion has to offer.
These flowers may be quite attractive up close, but from a distance they are often inconspicuous. Green flowers are usually pollinated by the wind, but they may also attract beetles and other insects. Some of the flowers in this album are hardy, drought resistant, dwellers of the desert; while others are delicate, residents of the plateaus and cool canyons. This album features 15 different species.
Many of these flowers have long corollas, and they're pollinated by birds and butterflies. Others are more open, or have hairy yellow anthers covered with pollen; these are visited by bees and other small insects. If you look closely, you'll often find cactus blooms crawling with these tiny visitors. This album features 56 different species.
Birds and bees are both attracted to these colors. Some of these flowers have deep throats that require a specialist like the hummingbird. Others are short and stout, perfect for a bumblebee. Some blue flowers have ultraviolet guidelines that direct insects to their nectar. This album features 58 different species.