Mount Rushmore National Memorial - Plants

 

Coneflower is a common flower in South Dakota and the other high plains states. (NPS Photo) Like the smell of fresh cut grass tells you that there is grass growing in the yard, your sense of smell, can clue you into some of the plants you will find at Mount Rushmore.

Some wildflowers have evolved to have very pleasant and sweet smells to attract pollinators likes bees and butterflies and other plants smell sour or rotten to attract different pollinators like flies. Trees and grasses can have distinct smells also. Smell can help you to discover something new.

The Black Hills are a very unique ecosystem. Several plant ranges overlap here. You can find plants from areas north, south, east and west growing in the Black Hills. Only about 5% of the plant species in the hills are indigenous to the area.

The Ponderosa pine is a tree that grows commonly in the western United States. Using your sense of smell you can easily identify the Ponderosa pine trees that dominate the landscape in the Black Hills. Look for a tall pine tree with reddish bark. If it has long needles you may have a Ponderosa pine. Now walk right up to the tree and smell the bark. Does it smell sweet, kind of like vanilla or butterscotch? You have a Ponderosa pine! Your sense of smell can help you identify plants at home and elsewhere.