drought tolerant

Showing 85–96 of 115 results

Phalaris arundinacea / reed canarygrass
- large, coarse, erect grass
- long, flat blades with pointy tips... from base
- distinct ligule—membranous and long
- large but compact inflorescences (panicles)
- often in dense monocultures, e.g. on river banks
Phleum pratense / timothy
- tight, cylindrical flower head
- probably the most recognizable grass in the Valley
- pink stamens with prodigious pollen production in summer
- bulb at base of stem; brown leaf sheath bases
Phlox diffusa / spreading phlox
- low, spreading, moss-like (before blooming)
- flowers 5-petaled, a variety of colors, and with a tube below the petals
- many habitat types incl. mountain slopes, rocky terrain, dry forests or with sagebrush
- blooms in early spring to early summer
- confusable with P. hoodii
Phlox hoodii / spiny phlox
- half-inch, five (or four) petaled flower with yellow center
- low to ground, mat forming, moss-like
- tightly packed, narrow, spiny leaves
- blooms in very early spring, just after snowmelt
- with sagebrush on dry, rocky soils
Physaria spp / twinpods
- yet another very small yellow crucifer/brassica
- densely hairy leaves, tapering to a petiole
- bloom in early spring on minimal soil in rocky places
- fruit characteristics TBPL
Picea engelmannii / Engelmann spruce
- common, especially in mixed conifer forests
- canopy a narrow spire in young trees, cylindrical in older trees
- sharp, pointy needles, generally "swept" toward branch tips
- needles attached to twigs with woody pegs (sterigmata)
- pendant cones less than 2.5 inches long; thin scales, wavy margins
Picea pungens / Colorado blue spruce
- conical, layered crown; whorled branches
- frequent epicormic branches; "woolly" look
- stout, yellow-brown twigs with sterigmata (woody pegs)
- cones greater than 2.5" long
- cone scales stiff at base, diamond shaped, not wavy at tips
- in mixed conifer forests
Pinus albicaulis / whitebark pine
- high altitude - subalpine to alpine; cold, windy sites
- five needles in tight fasicles
- brown to purple cones at top of tree; cones don't open
- scaly grayish bark
Pinus contorta / lodgepole pine
- evergreen conifer
- needles in groups (fascicles) of 2
- lopsided cones, (mostly) remain on tree when mature
- rounded crown; orangey-brown scaly bark
Pinus flexilis / limber pine
- high elevation, rocky or talus, dry, high-stress habitat
- often - stunted and deformed by wind
- highly flexible branches
- needles in bundles (fascicles) of 5
- often - semi-rotted cones on ground below
Plantago major / broadleaf plantain
Polygonum aviculare / prostrate knotweed
- long, prostrate stems around a central point
- copious red-edged white flowers
- small green leaves
- along roadsides, parking lots and wherever trampling occurs
- an ugly weed you'll see on most of your walks around town