Arches National Park - Plants

Over 400 kinds of plants grow and flourish in Arches, despite extreme temperatures and low rainfall. Plants play an important role in the Arches National Park ecosystem. Plants have adaptations that put them into three different categories: drought escapers, drought resistors and drought evaders. Drought escapers are plants that take advantage of good growing conditions when they exist. For example, these plants will grow when there is enough water. Seeds of these plants may wait years until there is a rainstorm, and then grow. Many flowers and grasses are in this category.

Drought evaders are plants that live only where there is a lot of water. Springs, rivers and streams are examples of places where there is water in the desert. In Arches National Park, drought evader plants might grow near the Colorado River or in Courthouse Wash. Drought evader plants include cottonwood trees, willows, ferns and even poison ivy! All of these plants require a reliable source of water.

As the crust builds up nutrients, plants begin to grow. There are various plant communities within the park, including pinyon–juniper woodlands, desert shrublands, grasslands, hanging gardens, and riparian corridors. One would not expect to find a water-loving fern living within a few feet of a cactus, but that is exactly what can happen at Arches National Park because of the diverse communities.