It’s time to turn our attention from the rocks of Utah to the plants.

I have great respect for desert plants.

They must be thrifty with water and growth.

There are no big showy leaves.

They must be frugal with their surface area.

They cannot get exposed to too much sun or lose too much water through evaporation.

So the plants in the desert must be conservative to survive.

They stay low and small.

Here’s a sampling.

Cliffrose    (Click on photos in masaics to enlarge images and to read signs )

Utah Juniper

Blackbrush

Mormon Tea

 

Narrowleaf Yucca

Four Wing Saltbush

Pinyon Pine

Claret Cup Cactus

 

I was happy to find all these plants with markers At the Island in the Sky  visitor’s center in Cayonlands. The rest of the trip I took photos of unknown plants while saying, “Wonder what this is? I’ll have to look it up later.”

For anyone wondering if I purloined seeds this trip, the answer is “NO.”

I have too many needy, green babies as it is. I do not need to propagate a whole new crop from another climate. (See post next week.)

Flower on the GO