Plant Life of the Grand Canyon

Since our gardens are fast asleep this time of year, I thought I’d deviate from my usual subjects and take you on an armchair mini-tour of some of the plant life at the Grand Canyon. The Southwest and the Grand Canyon in particular are favorite vacation destinations of my husband and myself.

Drawing on photos from our rim-to-rim hike in 1989, a 9-day rafting trip in 2008, and a 2013 return to the North Rim, I was able to pull together a collection of images that illustrate some of the plants found there, as well as a few amazing canyon vistas taken from the Colorado River.

Revisiting these photos, I once again feel the sun on my shoulders as the rasping caw of a raven riccochets off the canyon walls. Oh, to be back there right now! So let’s go…put on your virtual hiking boots and come along.

The first batch of pictures is from our rim-to-rim hike, starting at the North Rim and finishing at the South Rim over three days in June 1989. We took the North Kaibab Trail down and Bright Angel Trail up. A few deja vu photos were taken later at the North Rim in 2013.

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The North Rim

Grandeur aside, the Canyon’s altitude extremes, harsh climate and geological strata make for an incredibly diverse and fascinating ecosystem. Most people view the canyon’s vistas from the more easily accessible South Rim, which is 7000 feet in elevation. But the North Rim is a thousand feet higher at 8000 feet, therefore able to support a sub-alpine climate at the top.

On the approach to the North Rim by rental car, the Kaibab Plateau is filled with majestic ponderosa pine and aspen. A small bison herd roams the cool meadows and the scent of pine resin wafts through the air. It’s early June and summer is just beginning here.

Glimpses of Palmer lupine (Lupinus palmerii) a native wildflower which only grows at higher elevations, are visible here and there in the dappled shade of aspens. I didn’t photograph it, but I did make a simple field sketch. The flowers are blue-purple.

The North Rim ecosystem supports a wide variety of dry woodlands-loving plants including pinyon pine, Utah juniper, currants, catclaw acacia, Mexican cliffrose and many grasses and wildflowers.

The brink of the Rim provides unparalleled views in all directions, with the best lighting for photos being either very early morning or at sunset. There are numerous lookout points accessible by car or foot.

The Descent

Along the uppermost section of the North Kaibab Trail, which connects the rim with the canyon floor, clouds of pink New Mexico locust up to ten feet high bloom in abundance in early summer, filling the air with their lovely perfume.

As the trail descends farther on, the flora begins to change. You can see in the photos how the pines peter out as the elevation drops.

Lower down in the canyon, the temperature becomes much warmer with the drop in elevation and the flora is scrubbier and desert-like.

The Desert Flora

Agave, yucca, brittle brush, cacti and other scrub populate the lower inclines and talus slopes. A Century plant, also called Kaibab agave or Utah agave, is a treat to see in full bloom since they flower only once in their lifetime before the plant dies.

Upon finally reaching the canyon floor in late afternoon of the first day, a drop of 5781 feet spread over 9 miles, the temperature was now 99 F from the mid-sixties that morning. Fortunately the air cools down quickly once the sun sets. We camp for the night at Cottonwood Campground next to Bright Angel Creek, among mature cottonwood trees. We loved watching the bats dive for insects near the creek.

Desert flowers like the sacred datura and the endangered prickly poppy populate the bottom washes and areas around camp. That night an adorable spotted skunk came by. They’re smaller than striped ones and very cute!

My journal says we saw scarlet monkey flower, but regrettably I didn’t photograph it. Here’s an image of it from Gardenia.net.

The next day we set out across the canyon floor. As we began our ascent, a side trail led to Ribbon Falls, a high narrow waterfall which we were able to climb up behind. The continuous spray creates a humid microclimate for mosses, algae and clinging water plants found nowhere else in the canyon except at waterfalls and seeps. We also saw a dipper (a bird) bathing in the spray, and canyon wrens building their nest in a wall cavity behind the falls.

The second night we camped at Bright Angel Campground near Phantom Ranch, then continued up Bright Angel Trail. The section of Bright Angel Trail to the South Rim was less scenic plant-wise and very dusty, so there are no photos. The hike up was also rigorous, and we focused on resting (and drinking) whenever we stopped to catch our breath. We did see many birds, insects and reptiles along the way. All in all, a wonderful expedition of about 14 miles total and a full body workout!

Now I’m going to switch venues, to our rafting trip in 2008.

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The River Raft Trip

This 226-mile, one-way trip down the Colorado was designed especially for plein air artists and sponsored by the Sedona Art Center. Our motorized raft carried 12 passengers and the captain. A separate provisions raft carried 2 crew members and all our gear. Food and beverages were towed in an underwater box, keeping it ice-cold in the frigid river water.

At the start near Lee’s Ferry, there was very little vegetation to see except for a narrow band at the river’s edge. Most of the Canyon’s sandbars and riverbanks are covered in highly invasive tamarisk, also called salt cedar. This introduced plant from Asia has spread uncontrollably throughout the canyon and is now thoroughly entrenched, impacting the fragile natural ecosystem. This plant actually prefers disturbed soils saturated with minerals and salts. It can even deposit additional salts where it grows, further ensuring native plants won’t out-compete it. Unfortunately the canyon floor is perfect for it.

Seemingly out of the sheer rock cliffs lining the river, desert rock nettle (Eucnide urens) blooms in the crevices. You can see why desert plants evolved tiny hairs to guard against the blowing sand. In the close-up photo, notice a fly is pollinating this particular flower.

Perhaps the most exciting plant discovery of the whole trip was this lovely Chatterbox orchid I spotted growing out of a wall seep when we halted for lunch one day. Constantly dripping water from the seep created ideal conditions for it.

This was the only specimen we saw of this orchid. I felt so lucky to have stumbled across it. The flowers are only the size of a nickel.

Farther south down the Canyon, plants become even more desert-like. Bright mounds of gold brittle brush (Encelia farinosa) covers this talus slope along with various agave and cacti.

Catclaw acacia, also called Wait-a-Minute Bush, has really wicked thorns that can rip clothing and flesh. Stands of it are nearly impenetrable. Thorns help protect it from animal browse.

Even dead trees make interesting subjects. A dead tamarisk (left) and an expired cottonwood among the brittle brush are vivid reminders of the tenuous cycle of life in this environment.

Of course, the massive cliff walls and related geological forces are ever-present throughout the Canyon. Like everything else here, they are extreme in their form, color, composition and overwhelming physicality. I find it fascinating how plants have evolved to coexist and even thrive under such inhospitable conditions, yet they do.

I hope this brief tour has convinced you that the Grand Canyon is much more than a giant chasm. Needless to say, there’s way more to see there than plant life, and these photos barely scratch the surface. Both trips were truly “once in a lifetime” experiences. If you’ve never been there, do consider a trip of your own.

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As we leave the river at Diamond Creek and travel overland, bright red ocotillo waves merrily in the desert breeze.

Let me know in the comments if you liked this diversion article!