List of plants of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)
Encyclopedia
A List of Plants in the Sierra Nevada is below. The Sierra Nevada mountain range
, also known locally as the "Sierras" or "Sierra Nevada", run 400 miles (643.7 km) north-to-south along eastern California
, and occasionally in western Nevada
. The name "Sierra Nevada" is Spanish
, translating as "Snowy Mountain Range".
s and habitat
s present, make them home to one of the most diverse collections of distinct plant species in the United States
.
The Sierras are bordered by: the Great Basin
in rain shadow
on the east; the Cascade Range
on the north; the Central Valley—San Joaquin Valley
on the west; the Tehachapi Mountains
linking the Transverse Ranges
on the southwest; and the Mojave Desert
on the south.
, concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species, floristic province
s are used. The Sierra Nevada are primarily within the California Floristic Province
, with the Rocky Mountain Floristic Province to the north, the Great Basin Floristic Province to the east, and Sonoran Floristic Province to the south.
, concerned with the distribution of species spatially and temporally, a descending hierarchy is used, with an Ecozone
at the top, then Biome
s, followed by smaller Terrestrial Ecoregions. The Sierra Nevada are a small part of the North American continental Nearctic ecozone
. The Sierras contain portions of two Nearctic biomes:
----
Category: Flora of the Sierra Nevada region - for links to all individual plant species' articles
Category: Fauna of the Sierra Nevada - for links to all individual animal species' articles
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
, also known locally as the "Sierras" or "Sierra Nevada", run 400 miles (643.7 km) north-to-south along eastern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and occasionally in western Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The name "Sierra Nevada" is Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, translating as "Snowy Mountain Range".
Geography
The Sierra Nevada's immense size in length and height, geological age, and wide variety of ecosystemEcosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s and habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s present, make them home to one of the most diverse collections of distinct plant species in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The Sierras are bordered by: the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
in rain shadow
Rain shadow
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...
on the east; the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
on the north; the Central Valley—San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
on the west; the Tehachapi Mountains
Tehachapi Mountains
The Tehachapi Mountains , regionally also called The Tehachapis, are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States...
linking the Transverse Ranges
Transverse Ranges
The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
on the southwest; and the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
on the south.
Phytogeography
In phytogeographyPhytogeography
Phytogeography , also called geobotany, is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species...
, concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species, floristic province
Floristic province
A phytochorion, in phytogeography, is a geographic area with a relatively uniform composition of plant species. Adjacent phytochoria do not usually have a sharp boundary, but rather a soft one, a transitional area in which many species from both regions overlap...
s are used. The Sierra Nevada are primarily within the California Floristic Province
California Floristic Province
The California Floristic Province is a floristic province with a Mediterranean climate located on the Pacific Coast of North America with a distinctive flora that bears similarities to floras found in other regions experiencing a winter rainfall, summer drought climate like the Mediterranean...
, with the Rocky Mountain Floristic Province to the north, the Great Basin Floristic Province to the east, and Sonoran Floristic Province to the south.
Biogeography
In biogeographyBiogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
, concerned with the distribution of species spatially and temporally, a descending hierarchy is used, with an Ecozone
Ecozone
An ecozone is the broadest biogeographic division of the Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms.Ecozones delineate large areas of the Earth's surface within which organisms have been evolving in relative isolation over long periods of time, separated from...
at the top, then Biome
Biome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
s, followed by smaller Terrestrial Ecoregions. The Sierra Nevada are a small part of the North American continental Nearctic ecozone
Nearctic
The Nearctic is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones dividing the Earth's land surface.The Nearctic ecozone covers most of North America, including Greenland and the highlands of Mexico...
. The Sierras contain portions of two Nearctic biomes:
- The lower elevation western Sierra foothills are in the Nearctic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrub biome: which is represented here by the California chaparral and woodlandsCalifornia chaparral and woodlandsThe California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
ecoregion's California interior chaparral and woodlandsCalifornia interior chaparral and woodlandsThe California interior chaparral and woodlands ecoregion covers in an elliptical ring around the California Central Valley. It occurs on hills and mountains ranging from to . It is part of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers...
sub-ecoregion. - The valleys and mountains higher up are in the Nearctic Temperate coniferous forestsTemperate coniferous forestsTemperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. In most temperate coniferous forests, evergreen conifers predominate, while some are a mix of conifers and broadleaf evergreen...
biome: which is represented here by the Sierra Nevada Forests ecoregion.
Plants and distributions
- This list of native plantNative plantNative plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
s is organized by elevational distribution ranges and their plant communities. Some plants with a broader altitudinal range are found listed in their predominant habitat elevation. - All the plant species listed are native to the Sierra's foothills, valleys, and mountains. In addition some are also endemic to here and elsewhere within California - (ca-endemic); and some are further endemic to and only found in the Sierra Nevada - (sn-endemic).
Foothill Woodland and Chaparral Zone
- 1,000 to 3,000 feet (300 to 910 m)
- Indicator speciesIndicator speciesAn indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change...
trees- Pinus sabiniana - Digger Pine
- Quercus douglasii - Blue Oak
- Other trees and shrubs
- Aesculus californicaAesculus californicaAesculus californica is a species of buckeye that is native [ |] to California and southwest Oregon [Jackson, County], and the only buckeye native to these states.-Description:...
- California Buckeye - Cercis occidentalisCercis occidentalisCercis occidentalis, the western redbud is a small tree or shrub in the legume family. It is found across the American Southwest, from California to Utah....
- Redbud - Fraxinus latifolia - Oregon Ash
- Fremontodendron californicum - California Flannelbush
- F. californicum decumbens - Pine Hill Flannelbush - decumbent form, (sn-endemic), endangered speciesEndangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
- F. californicum decumbens - Pine Hill Flannelbush - decumbent form, (sn-endemic), endangered species
- Quercus garryana var. semota - Garry Oak
- Quercus lobata - Valley Oak
- Quercus wislizenii - Interior Live Oak
- Salix laevigataSalix laevigataSalix laevigata , is a perennial species of willow native to Pacific Coastal California and northern Baja California; it occurs in other southwestern United States locales, most prominently in Arizona and southwest Utah.The Red Willow is a small tree up to 45 feet in height.-Distribution:Most of...
- Red Willow - Salix lasiolepisSalix lasiolepisSalix lasiolepis is a species of willow native to western and southwestern North America, in the United States from central and southern Washington and southwestern Idaho south to California and Texas, and in Mexico from the Baja California peninsula east to Coahuila and south to Jalisco. The name...
- Arroyo Willow
- Aesculus californica
- Chaparral
- Adenostoma fasciculatumAdenostoma fasciculatumAdenostoma fasciculatum is a flowering plant native to California and northern Baja California. This shrub is one of the most widespread plants of the chaparral biome.-Description:...
- Chamise (dominant species) - ArctostaphylosArctostaphylosArctostaphylos is a genus of plants comprised by the manzanitas and bearberries. They are shrubs or small trees.There are about 60 species of Arctostaphylos, ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountain species to small trees up to 6 m tall. Most are evergreen , with small oval...
spp. - Manzanita- Arctostaphylos mewukkaArctostaphylos mewukkaArctostaphylos mewukka is a species of manzanita known by the common name Indian manzanita.-Description:Arctostaphylos mewukka is a mostly hairless shrub growing to heights between 1 and 4 meters, with or without a burl at the base...
- Indian Manzanita (sn-endemic) - Arctostaphylos myrtifoliaArctostaphylos myrtifoliaArctostaphylos myrtifolia is a rare species of manzanita known by the common name Ione manzanita. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. It grows in the chaparral and woodland plant community on a distinctive acidic soil series in western Amador and Calaveras Counties...
- Ione manzanita (sn-endemic) - Arctostaphylos nissenanaArctostaphylos nissenanaArctostaphylos nissenana is a species of manzanita known by the common name Nissenan manzanita. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the woodlands and chaparral of the Sierra Nevada foothills, mostly in El Dorado County.-Description:...
- Nissenan manzanita (sn-endemic)
- Arctostaphylos mewukka
- CeanothusCeanothusCeanothus L. is a genus of about 50–60 species of shrubs or small trees in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. The genus is confined to North America, the center of its distribution in California, with some species in the eastern United States and southeast Canada, and others extending as far south...
spp. - California lilac- Ceanothus roderickiiCeanothus roderickiiCeanothus roderickii is a rare species of shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae known by the common name Pine Hill ceanothus. It is endemic to western El Dorado County, California, where it grows in the chaparral and woodlands of the Sierra Nevada foothills, such as the Pine Hill Ecological...
- Pine Hill ceanothus (sn-endemic) - Ceanothus tomentosusCeanothus tomentosusCeanothus tomentosus, with the common name Woollyleaf ceanothus, is a species of shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. It is native to several of the mountain ranges in California and Baja California.-Distribution and habitat:...
- Woollyleaf ceanothus
- Ceanothus roderickii
- Quercus berberidifolia - California Scrub Oak
- Quercus wislizenii - Interior Live Oak (scrub form)
- Rhamnus alnifoliaRhamnus alnifoliaRhamnus alnifolia is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family known by the common name alder buckthorn, or alderleaf buckthorn. It is native to North America, where it is known mainly from the southern half of Canada and the northern half of the United States and California...
- Alderleaf Buckthorn - Rhamnus californicaRhamnus californicaRhamnus californica , is called coffeeberry because its berries contain seeds which look like coffee beans—it is also called California buckthorn...
- Coffeeberry - Rhamnus croceaRhamnus croceaRhamnus crocea is a species of buckthorn. There are two subspecies: Rhamnus crocea subsp. crocea and Rhamnus crocea subsp. pilosa . It is native to California, Arizona, and Baja California....
- Redberry Buckthorn - Rosa californicaRosa californicaRosa californica, the California wild rose, is a species of rose native to the U.S. states of California and Oregon and the northern part of Baja California, Mexico...
- California Wild Rose - Salvia sonomensisSalvia sonomensisSalvia sonomensis is a low-growing perennial plant that is endemic to California.-Description:Salvia sonomensis, as suggested by its common name, is a mat-forming subshrub with stems growing up to about tall, with inflorescences that stand above the foliage. The species is highly variable in...
- Sonoma Creeping Sage
- Adenostoma fasciculatum
- Wildflowers, herbaceous perennials, and others
- Carex tumulicolaCarex tumulicolaCarex tumulicola, the splitawn sedge foothill sedge, or previously Berkeley sedge, is a Sedge member of the Cyperaceae family.-Description:...
- Foothill sedge - Daucus pusillusDaucus pusillusDaucus pusillus is a species of wild carrot known by the common names American wild carrot and rattlesnake weed. It is similar in appearance to other species and subspecies of wild carrot, with umbels of white or pinkish flowers....
- American Wild Carrot - Eragrostis hypnoidesEragrostis hypnoidesEragrostis hypnoides is a species of grass known by the common name teal lovegrass. It is native to the Americas from Canada to Argentina...
- Teal Lovegrass - Festuca californicaFestuca californicaFestuca californica is a species of grass known by the common name California fescue. It is native to the United Mexican States where it is a member of many plant communities, including chaparral. This fescue is a clumping bunch grass perennial without rhizomes.It reaches anywhere from 40 to 120...
- California Fescue (bunchgrass) - Melica aristataMelica aristataMelica aristata is a species of grass known by the common names awned melic and bearded melicgrass.-Distribution:It is native to the western United States from the Pacific Northwest to the Sierra Nevada and nearby ranges, where it grows in mountain forests and open hillsides.-Description:Melica...
- Bearded Melicgrass - Melica californicaMelica californicaMelica californica is a species of grass known by the common name California melic.-Distribution:This grass is native to Oregon and California, where it grows in many types of habitat, from mountain forests to open grassland at sea level...
- California Melic (bunchgrass) - Melica harfordiiMelica harfordiiMelica harfordii is a species of grass known by the common name Harford's oniongrass.-Distribution:It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it grows in many types of habitat, including mountain forests and open hillsides...
- Harford's Oniongrass - Melica imperfectaMelica imperfectaMelica imperfecta is a species of grass known by the common name smallflower melic and little California melic.It is native to the Arizona, California, and Nevada in the United States and Baja California in Mexico...
- Little California Melic (bunchgrass) - Mimulus bolanderiMimulus bolanderiMimulus bolanderi is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name Bolander's monkeyflower.-Distribution:It is endemic to California, where it grows in the chaparral and other habitat in the coastal and inland mountains and foothills from the North Coast Ranges to the Sierra Nevada to the...
- Bolander's Monkeyflower (ca-endemic) - Mimulus congdoniiMimulus congdoniiMimulus congdonii is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name Congdon's monkeyflower.-Distribution:It is endemic to California, where it has a scattered and localized distribution in the mountains and foothills between the North Coast Ranges and the Peninsular Ranges, and the Sierra...
- 'Congdon's Monkeyflower (ca-endemic) - Mimulus douglasiiMimulus douglasiiMimulus douglasii is a species of monkeyflower known by the common names brownies and purple mouse ears. It is native to the mountains and foothills of California and Oregon, where it is often found on serpentine soils.-Description:...
- Purple Mouse Ears - Mimulus glaucescensMimulus glaucescensMimulus glaucescens is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name shieldbract monkeyflower.-Distribution:It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the foothills of the southernmost Cascade Range and adjacent northernmost Sierra Nevada...
- Shieldbract Monkeyflower (ca-endemic) - Mimulus gracilipesMimulus gracilipesMimulus gracilipes is an uncommon species of monkeyflower known by the common name slenderstalk monkeyflower.-Distribution:It is endemic to California, where it is known only from a section of the central Sierra Nevada foothills.-Description:...
- Slenderstalk Monkeyflower (sn-endemic) - Mimulus inconspicuusMimulus inconspicuusMimulus inconspicuus is an uncommon species of monkeyflower known by the common name smallflower monkeyflower.-Distribution:It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the Sierra Nevada foothills...
- Smallflower Monkeyflower (sn-endemic) - Mimulus pulchellusMimulus pulchellusMimulus pulchellus is an uncommon species of monkeyflower known by the common name yellowlip pansy monkeyflower.-Description:Mimulus pulchellus is is a petite annual herb growing in small tufts or patches on the ground with hardly any stem. The oppositely arranged leaves are linear in shape and up...
- Yellowlip Pansy Monkeyflower (sn-endemic) - Mimulus shevockiiMimulus shevockiiMimulus shevockii is a rare species of monkeyflower known by the common name Kelso Creek monkeyflower.-Distribution:Mimulus shevockii is endemic to the southern Sierra Nevada in Kern County, California, where it is known from about 10 occurrences near Lake Isabella...
- Kelso Creek Monkeyflower (sn-endemic) - Mimulus viscidusMimulus viscidusMimulus viscidus is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name sticky monkeyflower.-Distribution:Mimulus viscidus is endemic to the western Sierra Nevada foothills of California, where it grows in bare and disturbed habitat, such as areas recently cleared by wildfire.-Description:Mimulus...
- Sticky Monkeyflower (sn-endemic) - Orthocarpus purpurascens - Owl Clover
- Lomatium californicumLomatium californicumLomatium californicum is a species of plant related to the carrot and the parsnip which is known by the common names California rock parsnip, celery weed, and California lomatium...
- California rock parsnip - Lomatium congdoniiLomatium congdoniiLomatium congdonii, known by the common names Mariposa desertparsley and Congdon's lomatium, is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family .-Description:...
- Mariposa desertparsley (sn-endemic) - Lomatium stebbinsiiLomatium stebbinsiiLomatium stebbinsii is a rare species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Stebbins' desertparsley. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California, where it is known only from the slopes near the border between Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties. It is a plant of the...
- Stebbins' desertparsley (sn-endemic) - Lupinus stiversiiLupinus stiversiiLupinus stiversii is a species of lupine known by the common name harlequin lupine. The plant was named for Army physician Dr. Charles Austin Stivers, who first collected it in 1862 near Yosemite.-Distribution:...
- Harlequin Lupine (ca-endemic) - Monardella candicansMonardella candicansMonardella candicans is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name Sierra monardella.-Distribution:It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, where it grows in several types of local habitat, including chaparral, woodland, and...
- Sierra Monardella (sn-endemic) - Wyethia helenioidesWyethia helenioidesWyethia helenioides is a species of flowering plants in the sunflower family commonly referred to as gray mule's ears.-Distribution:...
- Gray Mule's Ears
- Carex tumulicola
Eastern Slopes Great Basin xeric zone
- Agropyron desertorumAgropyron desertorumAgropyron desertorum is a species in the Poaceae family.-External links:***...
- Desert Crested Wheatgrass (bunchgrass) - Artemisia tridentataArtemisia tridentataArtemisia tridentata is a shrub or small tree from the family Asteraceae. Some botanists treat it in the segregate genus Seriphidium, as S. tridentatum W. A. Weber, but this is not widely followed...
- Sagebrush, Common Sagebrush - Dodecatheon redolensDodecatheon redolensDodecatheon redolens is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family known by the common name scented shooting star. This wildflower is native from California through Nevada to Utah, where it grows in moist areas, especially in desert mountains.-Description:Dodecatheon redolens is a hairy,...
- Scented Shooting Star - Grayia spinosaGrayia (plant)Grayia is a monotypic genus of plants containing the sole species Grayia spinosa, which is known by the common names hop sage and spiny hop sage.-Distribution:...
- Spiny Hop Sage - Juniperus osteospermaJuniperus osteospermaJuniperus osteosperma is a shrub or small tree reaching 3-6 m tall. It is native to the southwestern United States, in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, western New Mexico, western Colorado, Wyoming, southern Montana, southern Idaho and eastern California...
- Utah Juniper - Pinus attenuataKnobcone PineThe Knobcone Pine, Pinus attenuata, is a tree that grows in mild climates on poor soils. It ranges from the mountains of southern Oregon to Baja California with the greatest concentration in northern California and the Oregon-California border....
- Knobcone Pine - Mimulus bigeloviiMimulus bigeloviiMimulus bigelovii is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name Bigelow's monkeyflower. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it grows in desert and slope habitats.-Description:...
- Bigelow's Monkeyflower - Mimulus whitneyiMimulus whitneyiMimulus whitneyi is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name Harlequin monkeyflower.-Distribution:Mimulus whitneyi is endemic to the southern Sierra Nevada of California, such as below the Mount Whitney area...
- Harlequin Monkeyflower (sn-endemic) - Muhlenbergia porteriMuhlenbergia porteriMuhlenbergia porteri is a species of grass known by the common name Bush muhly. It is native to North America, where it can be found throughout the Southwestern United States, California desert, and parts of Mexico. It grows in rocky, shrubby habitat....
- Bush Muhly - Pinus monophyllaSingle-leaf PinyonThe Single-leaf Pinyon, ', is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to the United States and northwest Mexico. The range is in southernmost Idaho, western Utah, Arizona, southwest New Mexico, Nevada, eastern and southern California and northern Baja California.It occurs at moderate altitudes from...
- Single-leaf Pinyon - Salvia dorriiSalvia dorriiSalvia dorrii is a herbaceous perennial in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to mountain areas in the western United States and northwestern Arizona, found mainly in the Great Basin Range habitat and southward to the Mojave Desert, growing in dry, well draining soils...
- Purple Sage - Sisyrinchium halophilumSisyrinchium halophilumSisyrinchium halophilum is a species of flowering plant in the iris family known by the common name Nevada blue-eyed grass. It is native to the western United States in and around the Great Basin and Mojave Desert, where it grows in moist, often highly alkaline habitat, such as seeps, meadows, and...
- Nevada Blue-eyed grass - Sporobolus airoidesSporobolus airoidesSporobolus airoides is a species of grass known by the common name alkali sacaton. It is native to western North America, including the Western United States west of the Mississippi River, British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, and northern and central Mexico...
- Alkali Sacaton (bunchgrass) - Sporobolus contractusSporobolus contractusSporobolus contractus is a species of grass known by the common name spike dropseed. It is native to western North America, including the southwestern United States and northern Mexico...
- Spike Dropseed (bunchgrass)
Lower Montane Forest
- 3,000 to 7,000 feet (910 to 2,100 m)
- Xeric-dry SW forests
- Indicator speciesIndicator speciesAn indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change...
trees- Pinus ponderosa - Ponderosa Pine, Yellow Pine - Yellow Pine Forest
- Pinus jeffreyi - Jeffrey Pine, Yellow Pine
- Other trees
- Calocedrus decurrensCalocedrus decurrensCalocedrus decurrens is a species of conifer native to western North America, with the bulk of the range in the United States, from central western Oregon through most of California and the extreme west of Nevada, and also a short distance into northwest Mexico in northern Baja California...
- Incense Cedar - Fraxinus velutinaFraxinus velutinaFraxinus velutina is a species of Fraxinus native to southwestern North America, in the United States from southern California east to Texas, and in Mexico from northern Baja California east to Coahuila and Nuevo León.-Description:Fraxinus velutina is a small deciduous tree growing to 10 m tall,...
- Modesto Ash - Pinus lambertianaSugar PinePinus lambertiana, commonly known as the sugar pine or sugar cone pine, is the tallest and most massive pine, with the longest cones of any conifer...
- Sugar Pine - Pseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas-fir
- Quercus kelloggii - California Black Oak
- Calocedrus decurrens
- Mesic-moist NE forests
- Indicator speciesIndicator speciesAn indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change...
trees- Sequoiadendron giganteumSequoiadendronSequoiadendron giganteum is the sole living species in the genus Sequoiadendron, and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae, together with Sequoia sempervirens and...
- The Giant Sequoia (sn-endemic) - Pinus ponderosa - Ponderosa Pine
- Sequoiadendron giganteum
- Other trees
- Abies concolor - White Fir
- Acer macrophyllum - Bigleaf Maple
- Acer negundoAcer negundoAcer negundo is a species of maple native to North America. Box Elder, Boxelder Maple, and Maple Ash are its most common names in the United States...
var. californicum - Box Elder - Alnus incana subsp. tenuifolia - Grey Alder
- Alnus rhombifoliaAlnus rhombifoliaAlnus rhombifolia, the White Alder, is an alder tree native to western North America, from Washington east to western Montana, southeast to the Sierra Nevada, and south through the Peninsular Ranges and Colorado Desert oases in Southern California. It occurs in riparian zone habitats at an...
- White Alder - Betula occidentalisBetula occidentalisBetula occidentalis is a species of birch native to western North America, in Canada from Yukon east to western Ontario and southwards, and in the United States from eastern Washington east to western North Dakota, and south to eastern California, northern Arizona and northern New Mexico, and also...
- Water Birch - Pinus lambertiana - Sugar Pine
- Populus trichocarpaPopulus trichocarpaPopulus trichocarpa is a deciduous broadleaf tree species native to western North America. It is used for timber, and is notable as a model organism in plant biology. Its full genome sequence was published in 2006...
- California poplar
- Shrubs
- Amelanchier alnifolia var. pumila - Serviceberry
- Amelanchier utahensisAmelanchier utahensisAmelanchier utahensis, the Utah serviceberry, is a shrub or small tree native to western North America. This serviceberry grows in varied habitats, from scrubby open slopes to woodlands and forests.-Description:...
- Utah Serviceberry - Arctostaphylos manzanitaArctostaphylos manzanitaOne of many species of manzanita, Arctostaphylos manzanita has the common names Common manzanita and Whiteleaf manzanita.Arctostaphylos manzanita is endemic to California, where it can be found in the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills...
- Whiteleaf Manzanita (ca-endemic) - Arctostaphylos nevadensisArctostaphylos nevadensisArctostaphylos nevadensis, with the common name Pinemat manzanita, is a species of manzanita.-Distribution:Arctostaphylos nevadensis is native to western North America from Washington to California, where it grows in the coniferous forests of the inland and coastal mountain ranges...
- Pinemat Manzanita - Arctostaphylos patulaArctostaphylos patulaArctostaphylos patula is a species of manzanita known by the common name greenleaf manzanita. This manzanita is native to western North America where it grows in coniferous forests at moderate to high elevations.-Description:...
- Greenleaf Manzanita - Arctostaphylos viscidaArctostaphylos viscidaArctostaphylos viscida, with the common names Whiteleaf manzanita and Sticky manzanita, is a species of manzanita.-Distribution:...
subsp. mariposa & subsp. viscida - Sticky Manzanita - Berberis aquifolium - Oregon-Grape
- Berberis nervosa - Dwarf Oregon-Grape
- Ceanothus fresnensisCeanothus fresnensisCeanothus fresnensis is a species of shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae known by the common name Fresno mat. It is endemic to California, where it grows in central sections of the Sierra Nevada and its foothills. Its habitat includes dry woodland and coniferous forest.-Description:This is a...
- Fresno Mat (sn-endemic) - Ceanothus parvifoliusCeanothus parvifoliusCeanothus parvifolius is a species of shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae known by the common name littleleaf ceanothus. It is endemic to the High Sierra Nevada of California, where it grows in moist areas in the forest.-Description:...
- Littleleaf Ceanothus (sn-endemic) - Ceanothus pinetorumCeanothus pinetorumCeanothus pinetorum is a species of shrub in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae known by the common names Kern ceanothus and Coville ceanothus...
- Kern Ceanothus (sn-endemic) - Chamaebatia foliolosaChamaebatia foliolosaChamaebatia foliolosa is a species of aromatic evergreen shrub in the rose family known by the common names mountain misery and bearclover. The Miwok tribe's name for this plant was kit-kit-dizze. This shrub is endemic to the mountains of California, where it grows in coniferous forests. The stems...
- Kit-kit-dizze - Prunus emarginata - Oregon Cherry
- Rhamnus ilicifoliaRhamnus ilicifoliaRhamnus ilicifolia is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family known by the common name hollyleaf redberry. It is native to western North America, where it is a common plant growing in many types of habitat, including chaparral and wooded areas, from Oregon through California, to Baja...
- Hollyleaf Redberry - Rhamnus rubraRhamnus rubraRhamnus rubra is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family known by the common names red buckthorn and Sierra coffeeberry.-Distribution:...
- Sierra Coffeeberry - Ribes nevadenseRibes nevadenseRibes nevadense is a species of currant known by the common names Sierra currant and mountain pink currant.-Distribution:...
- Sierra Currant - Ribes roezliiRibes roezliiRibes roezlii is a species of currant known by the common name Sierra gooseberry.-Distribution:It is native to many of the mountain ranges of California, its distribution extending just into Nevada and north into Oregon...
- Sierra Gooseberry - Rhododendron occidentaleRhododendron occidentaleRhododendron occidentale, the Western Azalea, is one of two deciduous Rhododendron species native to western North America . The Western Azalea is known to occur as far north as Bandon, Oregon. It is found as far south as the Palomar Mountain area in southern California...
- Western Azalea - Rosa bridgesiiRosa bridgesiiRosa bridgesii is a species of rose known by the common name pygmy rose. It is native to California, where it grows in the forests of the Sierra Nevada and surrounding mountains and foothills...
- Pygmy Rose - Rosa woodsiiRosa woodsiiRosa woodsii is a species of rose known by the common name Woods' rose. It is native to North America including much of Canada and Alaska and the western and central United States. It grows in a variety of habitat types, including disturbed areas....
- Woods' Rose - Salix spp. - Willows
- Salix drummondianaSalix drummondianaSalix drummondiana is a species of willow known by the common name Drummond's willow. It is native to western North America from Yukon and the Northwest Territories in the north to California and New Mexico in the south...
- Drummond's Willow - Salix exiguaSalix exiguaSalix exigua Salix exigua Salix exigua (Sandbar Willow, Narrowleaf Willow, or Coyote Willow; syn. S. argophylla, S. hindsiana, S. interior, S. linearifolia, S. luteosericea, S. malacophylla, S. nevadensis, S...
- Sandbar Willow - Salix lemmonii Salix lemmoniiSalix lemmonii is a species of willow known by the common name Lemmon's willow. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Colorado, where it grows in moist and wet areas in mountain coniferous forest habitat, such as streambanks and meadows.-Description:Salix...
- Lemmon's Willow - Salix ligulifoliaSalix ligulifoliaSalix ligulifolia is a species of willow known by the common name strapleaf willow. It is native to the western United States. It grows in moist and wet habitat, such as riverbanks, swamps, and floodplains, such as in the Sierra Nevada in California....
- Strapleaf Willow - Salix lucidaSalix lucidaSalix lucida is a species of willow native to northern and western North America, occurring in wetland habitats....
subsp. caudata, subsp. lasiandra - Shining Willow, Pacific Willow, or Whiplash Willow - Salix scoulerianaSalix scoulerianaSalix scouleriana Salix scouleriana Salix scouleriana (Scouler's Willow; syn. S. brachystachys Benth., S. capreoides Anderss., S. flavescens Nutt., S. nuttallii Sarg., S...
- Scouler's Willow
- Salix drummondiana
- Umbellularia californicaUmbellulariaUmbellularia californica is a large tree native to coastal forests of California and slightly extended into Oregon.It is the sole species in the genus Umbellularia....
- California Bay
- Herbaceous perennials and others
- Andropogon glomeratusAndropogon glomeratusAndropogon glomeratus is a species of grass known by the common names bushy bluestem and bushy beardgrass. This grass reaches heights approaching two meters-6 feet and has large, fluffy cream-colored inflorescences. Each dense, tufted inflorescence has several pairs of hairy spikelets. The leaves...
var. scabriglumis - Bushy Bluestem bunchgrass - Aquilegia formosa - Western Columbine
- Blechnum spicantBlechnum spicantBlechnum spicant is a species of fern known by the common names Deer fern or hard fern. It is native to Europe and western North America. Like some other Blechnum it has two types of leaves...
- Deer Fern - CarexCarexCarex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
spp. - Sedges- Carex abruptaCarex abruptaCarex abrupta is a species of sedge known by the common name abrupt-beaked sedge or abruptbeak sedge. It is native to the western United States from California to Idaho, where it grows in moist mountain habitat such as meadows.-Description:...
- Abrupt-beaked Sedge - Carex amplifoliaCarex amplifoliaCarex amplifolia is a species of sedge known by the common name bigleaf sedge. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Montana to California, where it grows in wet and seasonally wet areas in coniferous forests.-Description:...
- Bigleaf Sedge - Carex angustataCarex angustataCarex angustata is a species of sedge known by the common name widefruit sedge. It is native to the western United States from Washington and Idaho to California, where it grows in wet meadows and on streambanks.-Description:...
- Widefruit Sedge - Carex athrostachyaCarex athrostachyaCarex athrostachya is a species of sedge known by the common name slenderbeak sedge. It is native to western North America, including Alaska to central Canada, the western contiguous United States, and just into Baja California.-Description:...
- Slenderbeak Sedge - Carex aurea Carex aureaCarex aurea is a species of sedge known by the common name golden sedge. It is native to much of North America, including most of Canada and the western and central United States. It grows in wet habitat, often on soils of a basic pH.-Description:...
- Golden Sedge - Carex canescensCarex canescensCarex canescens L. is a perennial species of plants in the family Cyperaceae with pluriregional distribution growing in damp forests and wetlands.-External links:*...
- Carex cusickiiCarex cusickiiCarex cusickii is a species of sedge known by the common name Cusick's sedge. It is native to Northwestern North America from British Columbia to California, and in Utah, where it can be found in several types of wet habitat, such as marshes, mountain meadows, and ditches...
- Cusick's Sedge - Carex diandraCarex diandraCarex diandra is a species of sedge known by the common name lesser panicled sedge.-Distribution:It is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, where it can be found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. It is also known from New Zealand...
- Lesser Panicled Sedge - Carex dispermaCarex dispermaCarex disperma is a species of sedge known by the common name softleaf sedge. It is native to much of the northern Northern Hemisphere, from Alaska to Greenland, most of Canada and the contiguous United States, and across Eurasia.-Description:...
- Softleaf Sedge - Carex douglasiiCarex douglasiiCarex douglasii is a species of sedge known by the common name Douglas' sedge.-Distribution:It is native to much of western North America, including the western Canadian provinces, the western United States, and Baja California. It grows in dry, wet, and seasonally moist habitat, from prairie and...
- Douglas' Sedge - Carex echinataCarex echinataCarex echinata is a species of sedge known by the common names star sedge and little prickly sedge.-Distribution:This plant is native to North and Central America and parts of Eurasia. Carex echinata is a plant of wet forests, marshes, and mountain meadows of moderate elevation...
subsp. echinata - Star Sedge - Carex filifoliaCarex filifoliaCarex filifolia is a species of sedge known by the common name threadleaf sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to much of western North America, from Alaska to California and Manitoba to New Mexico, where it grows in moist and dry habitat....
var. erostrata - Threadleaf Sedge - Carex hasseiCarex hasseiCarex hassei is a species of sedge known by the common name salt sedge. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Baja California to New Mexico, where it grows in moist places, such as meadows.-Description:...
- Salt Sedge - Carex helleriCarex helleriCarex helleri is a species of sedge known by the common name Heller's sedge. It is native to eastern California and western Nevada, where it grows on rocky mountain slopes and in other habitats.-Description:...
- Heller's Sedge - Carex heteroneuraCarex heteroneuraCarex heteroneura is a species of sedge known by the common name different-nerve sedge. It is native to western Canada and the western United States, where it grows in moist mountain habitat such as forests and meadows.-Description:...
- var. epapillosa & heteroneura - Different-Nerve Sedge - Carex hoodiiCarex hoodiiCarex hoodii is a species of sedge known by the common name Hood's sedge. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to South Dakota, where it grows in dry to moist habitat in forests and on mountain slopes.-Description:...
- Hood's Sedge - Carex illotaCarex illotaCarex illota is a species of sedge known by the common name sheep sedge. It is native to western North America, where it grows in wet places such as marshes and mountain meadows, from New Mexico and California north to Western Canada.-Description:...
- Sheep Sedge - Carex jonesiiCarex jonesiiCarex jonesii is a species of sedge known by the common name Jones' sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the Western United States from California to Montana to Colorado, where it grows in moist areas, especially in subalpine mountain habitat.-Description:Carex jonesii produces clumps of...
- Jones' Sedge - Carex lasiocarpaCarex lasiocarpaCarex lasiocarpa is a species of sedge known by the common names slender sedge and woollyfruit sedge.-Distribution:This is an aquatic or shore plant of wet areas in mountainous areas of moderate elevation. It is found across much of North America and Eurasia...
- Slender Sedge - Carex lenticularisCarex lenticularisCarex lenticularis is a species of sedge known by the common name lakeshore sedge. It is native to much of northern North America, including most all of Canada and the western United States, where it grows in wet habitat.-Description:...
var. impressa & lipocarpa - Lakeshore Sedge - Carex leporinellaCarex leporinellaCarex leporinella is a species of sedge known by the common name Sierra hare sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the western United States from California, such as the Sierra Nevada, to Wyoming, where it grows in moist mountain habitats, such as meadows.-Description:Carex leporinella...
- Sierra Hare Sedge - Carex limosaCarex limosaCarex limosa is a species of sedge known by the common names mud sedge and shore sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is an aquatic or shore plant which can most often be found in peat bogs in mountains. It is distributed across North America and Eurasia.-Description:Carex limosa has a large rhizome and...
- Shore Sedge - Carex luzulinaCarex luzulinaCarex luzulina is a species of sedge known by the common name woodrush sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to Wyoming, where it grows in wet habitat such as bogs and mountain meadows.-Description:Carex luzulina produces loose to...
var. ablata, var. luzulina - Woodrush Sedge - Carex mariposanaCarex mariposanaCarex mariposana is a species of sedge known by the common name Mariposa sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the Sierra Nevada of California and far western Nevada, where it grows in moist areas such as meadows.-Description:...
- Mariposa Sedge - Carex multicaulisCarex multicaulisCarex multicaulis is a species of sedge known by the common name manystem sedge. It is native to California, western Nevada, and southern Oregon, where it grows in chaparral and open forest montane habitats.-Description:...
- Manystem Sedge - Carex multicostataCarex multicostataCarex multicostata is a species of sedge known by the common name manyrib sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the western United States from California to Montana, where it grows mainly in dry areas in mountain ranges, such as the Sierra Nevada and Transverse Ranges.-Description:Carex...
- Manyrib Sedge - Carex nebrascensisCarex nebrascensisCarex nebrascensis is a species of sedge known by the common name Nebraska sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the central and Western United States and north into central Canada. It grows in wetlands at various elevations, including the Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert sky islands...
- Nebraska Sedge - Carex nervinaCarex nervinaCarex nervina is a species of sedge known by the common name Sierra sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to California, including the Sierra Nevada and San Joaquin Valley, and adjacent parts of Oregon and Nevada, where it grows mainly in mountain meadows.-Description:Carex nervina forms thick...
- Sierra Sedge - Carex nudataCarex nudataCarex nudata is a species of true sedge known by several common names, including torrent sedge, California black-flowering sedge, Dudley's sedge, and naked sedge.-Distribution:...
- California Black-Flowering Sedge - Carex pellitaCarex pellitaCarex pellita is a species of sedge known by the common name woolly sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to much of North America, including southern Canada and the United States, except the Southeast.-Description:...
- Woolly Sedge - Carex petasataCarex petasataCarex petasata is a species of sedge known by the common name Liddon sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to much of western North America, from Alaska and northwestern Canada to California and to New Mexico, where it grows in several habitat types, including dry and wet, and low to high...
- Liddon Sedge - Carex praegracilisCarex praegracilisCarex praegracilis is a species of sedge known by the common names clustered field sedge, field sedge, and expressway sedge.-Distribution:...
- Field Sedge - Carex rossiiCarex rossiiCarex rossii, commonly known as Ross's sedge, is a hardy, monoecious species of sedge that is often a pioneer species in areas with little or no established vegetation, or in places where disturbance has occurred. It flowers in May and June....
- Ross's Sedge - Carex scopariaCarex scopariaCarex scoparia is a species of sedge known by the common names broom sedge and pointed broom sedge. It should not be confused with the unrelated grass species known as "broom sedge," Andropogon virginicus.-Distribution:...
- Pointed Broom Sedge - Carex sheldoniiCarex sheldoniiCarex sheldonii is a species of sedge known by the common name Sheldon's sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the Western United States, where it grows in wet areas such as lakeshores and moist meadows.-Description:...
- Sheldon's Sedge - Carex simulataCarex simulataCarex simulata is a species of sedge known by the common name analogue sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the western United States and western Canada, where it grows in many types of wet habitat, from mountain meadows to ditches, often in alkaline conditions.-Description:Carex simulata...
- Analogue Sedge - Carex straminiformisCarex straminiformisCarex straminiformis is a species of sedge known by the common name Shasta sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the Western United States where it grows in a number of habitat types in rocky soils, such as in the Sierra Nevada and Mount Shasta regions.-Description:Carex straminiformis...
- Shasta Sedge - Carex utriculataCarex utriculataCarex utriculata is a species of sedge known by the common name Northwest Territory sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the northern half of North America, including most all of Canada and the northern United States, and down to montane California. It is also found in parts of Eurasia...
- Northwest Territory Sedge - Carex vesicariaCarex vesicariaCarex vesicaria is an essentially Holarctic species of sedge known by the common name Blister Sedge. The dried fibers, sometimes used as thermal insulation in polar regions, are known as sennegrass, saennegrass or similar, from the plant's Bokmål name Sennegras.-Distribution:This sedge is native to...
var. major & vesicaria - Blister Sedge
- Carex abrupta
- Epipactis giganteaEpipactis giganteaEpipactis gigantea is a species of orchid known by the common names stream orchid and giant helleborine. This wildflower is native to western North America from western Canada to central Mexico...
- Stream Orchid - Eragrostis pectinaceaEragrostis pectinaceaEragrostis pectinacea is a species of grass known by the common name Tufted lovegrass. This plant is native to the Americas from Canada to Argentina...
- Tufted lovegrass (bunchgrass) - Hesperostipa comataHesperostipa comataHesperostipa comata, commonly known as needle-and-thread grass, is a species of grass native to North America, especially the western third. It has a wide distribution spanning from northern Canada to Mexico.-Description:...
- Needle-and-Thread Grass (bunchgrass) - Iris hartwegiiIris hartwegiiIris hartwegii is a species of iris endemic to California, where it can be found on low-elevation mountain slopes in the central counties. It has the common names rainbow iris, Sierra iris, and Hartweg's iris....
- Sierra Iris (ca-endemic) - Iris missouriensisIris missouriensisIris missouriensis is a species of iris found in western North America. Its distribution is varied; it grows at high elevations in mountains and alpine meadows and all the way down to sea level in coastal hills. Its common names include western blue flag and Rocky Mountain iris...
- Western Blue Flag Iris - Iris tenuissimaIris tenuissimaIris tenuissima is a species of iris known by the common name longtube iris. It is endemic to California, where it is a common wildflower in the woodlands of the northern part of the state.-Description:...
- (ca-endemic) - Koeleria macranthaKoeleria macranthaKoeleria macrantha is a species of grass known by the common name prairie Junegrass. In the UK it is known as Crested hair-grass. It is native to much of North America, from Alaska to California, from northern Mexico to the Eastern United States...
- Prairie Junegrass (bunchgrass) - Lilium humboldtiiLilium humboldtiiLilium humboldtii is a species of lily endemic to California named after naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt...
subsp. humboldtii - Humboldt's Lily (ca-endemic) - Lilium pardalinum subsp. pardalinum & shastense - Leopard Lily
- Lilium washingtonianumLilium washingtonianumLilium washingtonianum is a native to the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada of western North America. It is also known as the Washington Lily, Shasta Lily, or Mt...
subsp. washingtonianum - Shasta Lily - Luzula comosaLuzula comosaLuzula comosa is a species of flowering plant in the rush family known by the common name Pacific woodrush. It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Colorado, where it can be found in moist spots in forests and meadows and many other types of habitat. It is a perennial...
- Pacific Woodrush - Melica fugaxMelica fugaxMelica fugax is a species of grass known by the common names little oniongrass and little melic. It is native to western North America where it usually grows in volcanic soils in forest and plateau habitat from British Columbia to the Sierra Nevada.Melica fugax is a perennial bunchgrass growing up...
- Little Oniongrass - Melica geyeriMelica geyeriMelica geyeri is a species of grass known by the common name Geyer's oniongrass.-Distribution:It is native to Oregon and California, including the Sierra Nevada. It grows in many types of habitat, including mountain forests and open hillsides....
- Geyer's Oniongrass - Melica subulataMelica subulataMelica subulata is a species of grass known by the common name Alaska oniongrass.-Distribution:It is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Colorado, where it grows in moist habitat, often in forests....
- Alaska Oniongras - Melica torreyanaMelica torreyanaMelica torreyana is a species of grass known by the common name Torrey's melicgrass.-Distribution:It is endemic to California, where it grows in chaparral, grassland, and other hillside and mountain habitats in the northern and central sections of the state.-Description:Melica torreyana is a...
- Torrey's Melicgrass (bunchgrass) - (ca-endemic) - Mimulus aurantiacusMimulus aurantiacusMimulus aurantiacus, the Sticky monkey-flower and Orange bush monkey-flower, is a flowering plant that grows in a subshrub form, native to southwestern North America from southwestern Oregon south through most of California...
- Sticky Monkey-flower - Mimulus bicolorMimulus bicolorMimulus bicolor is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name yellow and white monkeyflower. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the mountains and foothills from the Klamath Range through the Sierra to the Tehachapi Mountains. It grows in moist or wet areas, often on clay...
- Yellow and White Monkeyflower (ca-endemic) - Mimulus breviflorusMimulus breviflorusMimulus breviflorus is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name shortflower monkeyflower. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Wyoming to the Modoc Plateau and northern Sierra Nevada in California...
- Shortflower Monkeyflower - Mimulus cardinalisMimulus cardinalisMimulus cardinalis, the scarlet monkeyflower, is a flowering perennial in the family Phrymaceae. Together with other species in Mimulus section Erythranthe, it serves as a model system for studying pollinator-based reproductive isolation....
- Scarlet Monkeyflower - Mimulus guttatusMimulus guttatusMimulus guttatus, the Common monkey-flower, is a yellow bee-pollinated annual or perennial herbaceous wildflower that grows along the banks of streams and seeps in western North America.-Description:...
- Common Monkey-flower - Mimulus montioidesMimulus montioidesMimulus montioides is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name montia-like monkeyflower. It is native to the Sierra Nevada and its foothills in California, and it has been observed in the mountains near Carson City, Nevada...
- Montia-like Monkeyflower (sn-endemic) - Monardella odoratissimaMonardella odoratissimaMonardella odoratissima is a perennial flowering plant which grows in mountain forests and sagebrush scrub. It is a member of the Lamiaceae, or mint family. It has the minty odor characteristic of this family.-Distribution:Monardella odoratissima is found in montane forests above 600 m...
- Mountain Coyote Mint - Muhlenbergia asperifoliaMuhlenbergia asperifoliaMuhlenbergia asperifolia is a species of grass known by the common name Scratchgrass. It is native to much of North America, including most of southern Canada, most of the continental United States except for the southeastern region, and parts of northern Mexico...
- Scratchgrass - Pellaea brachypteraPellaea brachypteraPellaea brachyptera is a species of fern known by the common name Sierra cliffbrake. It is native to the coastal and inland mountains of northern California and Oregon, and a disjunct population was discovered in Chelan County, Washington, in 1986....
- Sierra Cliffbrake fern - Pellaea breweriPellaea breweriPellaea breweri is a species of fern known by the common name Brewer's cliffbrake. It is native to much of the Western United States. It grows in rocky habitat such as cliffs and mountain slopes.-Description:...
- Brewer's cliffbrake fern - Pellaea bridgesiiPellaea bridgesiiPellaea bridgesii is a species of fern known by the common name Bridges' cliffbrake. It is native to an area of the western United States from northern California to Idaho, where it grows in rocky granitic cliffs and slopes....
- Bridges' cliffbrake fern - Pteridium aquilinumPteridium aquilinumPteridium aquilinum is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions throughout much of the northern hemisphere....
- Bracken Fern - Sedum albomarginatumSedum albomarginatumSedum albomarginatum is a rare species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family known by the common name Feather River stonecrop. It is endemic to California where it is known from fewer than 20 occurrences along the Feather River in Plumas and Butte Counties...
- Feather River Stonecrop (sn-endemic - endangered) - Sisyrinchium bellum - Californian Blue-eyed Grass
- Sisyrinchium elmeriSisyrinchium elmeriSisyrinchium elmeri is a species of flowering plant in the iris family known by the common name Elmer's yellow-eyed grass. It is endemic to California, where it is known from many of the mountain ranges from the Klamath Mountains through the Sierra Nevada to the San Bernardino Mountains...
- Elmer's Yellow-eyed Grass - Sisyrinchium idahoenseSisyrinchium idahoenseSisyrinchium idahoense, or Idaho blue-eyed grass, is a perennial that is native to the Western United States and Canada. It It is not a true grass, but is related to the Iris in the Iridaceae family.-Characteristics:...
- Idaho Blue-eyed Grass - Sporobolus vaginiflorusSporobolus vaginiflorusSporobolus vaginiflorus is a species of grass known by the common names poverty grass, poverty dropseed, and sheathed dropseed.-Distribution:...
- Poverty Dropseed (bunchgrass) - Streptanthus fenestratusStreptanthus fenestratusStreptanthus fenestratus is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Tehipite Valley jewelflower.-Distribution:...
- Tehipite Valley Jewelflower (sn-endemic) - Xerophyllum tenaxXerophyllum tenaxXerophyllum tenax is a grasslike perennial in the family Melanthiaceae, closely related to lilies. It is known by several common names, including bear grass, squaw grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass....
- Indian Basket Grass, Bear Grass
- Andropogon glomeratus
Upper Montane Forest
- 7,000 to 9,000 feet (2,100 to 2,700 m)
- Indicator speciesIndicator speciesAn indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change...
trees- Abies magnifica - Red Fir
- Pinus contorta murrayana - Lodgepole Pine
- Other trees
- Pinus monticola - Western White Pine
- Populus tremuloidesPopulus tremuloidesPopulus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, and Quakies,. The trees have tall trunks, up to 25 metres, with smooth pale bark, scarred with black. The glossy green leaves, dull beneath, become golden...
- Quaking Aspen - Juniperus occidentalisJuniperus occidentalisJuniperus occidentalis is a shrub or tree native to the western United States, growing in mountains at altitudes of 800-3,000 m .-Description:...
- Sierra Juniper - Pinus jeffreyiJeffrey PineThe Jeffrey Pine, Pinus jeffreyi, named in honor of its botanist documenter John Jeffrey, is a North American pine related to Ponderosa Pine.-Distribution and habitat:...
- Jeffrey Pine - Tsuga mertensiana - Mountain Hemlock
- Shrubs
- ChrysolepisChrysolepisChrysolepis is a small genus in the beech family Fagaceae, endemic to the western United States. Its two species have the common name chinquapin...
sempervirens - Bush Chinquapin - Arctostaphylos patulaArctostaphylos patulaArctostaphylos patula is a species of manzanita known by the common name greenleaf manzanita. This manzanita is native to western North America where it grows in coniferous forests at moderate to high elevations.-Description:...
- Greenleaf Manzanita - Arctostaphylos nevadensisArctostaphylos nevadensisArctostaphylos nevadensis, with the common name Pinemat manzanita, is a species of manzanita.-Distribution:Arctostaphylos nevadensis is native to western North America from Washington to California, where it grows in the coniferous forests of the inland and coastal mountain ranges...
- Pinemat Manzanita - Quercus vaccinifoliaQuercus vaccinifoliaQuercus vacciniifolia , the Huckleberry Oak, is a species of oak. It is a member of the Protobalanus section of genus Quercus...
- Huckleberry Oak - Salix jepsonii Salix jepsoniiSalix jepsonii is a species of willow known by the common name Jepson's willow. It is native to southernmost slopes of the Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada in California, where its distribution extends just into western Nevada...
- Jepson's Willow - Salix arctica - Arctic Willow
- Chrysolepis
- Herbaceous perennials and others
- CarexCarexCarex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
spp. - Sedges (see also Carex spp. "Lower Montane Forest")- Carex specificaCarex specificaCarex specifica is a species of sedge known by the common name narrowfruit sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to montane California, such as the Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains, and in far northwestern Nevada...
- Narrowfruit Sedge
- Carex specifica
- Elymus sierraeElymus sierraeElymus sierrae is a species of wild rye known by the common name Sierra wild rye. It is endemic to the High Sierra Nevada in California and far western Nevada, where it grows in coniferous forest and other mountain habitat generally above in elevation.It is a perennial grass with stems growing 30...
- Sierra Wild Rye (sn-endemic) - Erigeron aequifoliusErigeron aequifoliusErigeron aequifolius is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names Hall's daisy and Hall's fleabane.-Distribution:...
- Hall's Daisy (sn-endemic) - Lilium parvumLilium parvumLilium parvum is a species of lily known by the common names Sierra Tiger Lily and Alpine Lily. It is native to the Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada. The plant grows in mountainous forests, sending up stems with inflorescences of lily flowers during the summer months.-Description:The flowers...
- Sierra Tiger Lily (sn-endemic) - Lomatium torreyiLomatium torreyiLomatium torreyi is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Sierra biscuitroot. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California, where it grows in the forests of the high mountains.-Description:...
- Sierra Biscuitroot (sn-endemic) - Melica bulbosaMelica bulbosaMelica bulbosa is a species of grass known by the common name oniongrass. The common name comes from the onionlike appearance of the corm at its root; it is not related to the onions. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to the Rocky Mountains to California...
- Oniongrass - Mimulus filicaulisMimulus filicaulisMimulus filicaulis, known by the common name Slender-stemmed monkeyflower, is a species of monkeyflower.-Description:Mimulus filicaulis can carpet an area with its low-lying pink blooms. This is a hairy annual herb producing a thin, erect stem up to about 30 centimeters tall. The oppositely...
- Slender-stemmed Monkeyflower (sn-endemic) - Mimulus leptaleusMimulus leptaleusMimulus leptaleus is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name slender monkeyflower.-Description:Mimulus leptaleus is a small, hairy annual herb growing at ground level or erect to a maximum height near 14 centimeters...
- Slender Monkeyflower (sn-endemic) - Mimulus torreyiMimulus torreyiMimulus torreyi is a species of monkeyflower known by the common name Torrey's monkeyflower.-Distribution:This Mimulus is endemic to eastern montane California, where it is known from the high mountain ranges of the southern Cascades through all the Sierra Nevada into the Tehachapi Mountains.It...
- Torrey's Monkeyflower (ca-endemic) - Phacelia inyoensisPhacelia inyoensisPhacelia inyoensis, the common name Inyo phacelia, is an uncommon species of phacelia. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from the mountains at the eastern margin of the Sierra Nevada in Inyo and Mono Counties....
- Inyo Phacelia (sn-endemic) - Poa cusickiiPoa cusickiiPoa cusickii is a species of grass known by the common name Cusick's bluegrass. It is native to western North America from Yukon to Colorado to eastern California, where it grows in many types of habitat, including high mountain meadows and slopes, sagebrush scrub, and forests.It is a perennial...
- Cusick's Bluegrass - Viola aduncaViola aduncaViola adunca is a species of violet known by the common names hookedspur violet, sand violet, and western dog violet. It is native to North America, including the western half of the United States to New England northward throughout Canada.This is a hairy, compact plant growing from a small rhizome...
- Western Dog Violet - Viola glabellaViola glabellaViola glabella, the Stream Violet or Pioneer Violet, is usually found along streams or in moist woods in northeastern Asia and northwestern North America....
- Stream Violet - Viola macloskeyiViola macloskeyiViola macloskeyi is a flowering perennial plant in the Violet family .It is native to Canada, the Northeastern, North-Central, Northwestern,...
- Western Sweet-white Violet - Woodwardia fimbriataWoodwardia fimbriataWoodwardia fimbriata, known by the common name giant chain fern, is a species of fern. It is native to western North America from British Columbia through California, including the Sierra Nevada, into Baja California....
- Giant Chain Fern
- Carex
- SaprophytesSaprotrophic nutritionSaprotrophic nutrition is a process of chemoheterotrophic extra-cellular digestion involved in the processing of dead or decayed organic matter that occurs in saprotrophs or heterotrophs, and is most often associated with fungi, for example Mucor and Rhizopus...
- Sarcodes sanguineaSarcodes sanguineaSarcodes is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the heath family containing the single species Sarcodes sanguinea, commonly called the snow plant or snow flower. It is a parasitic plant that derives sustenance and nutrients from mycorrhyzal fungi that attach to roots of trees...
- Snow Plant - Pyrola pictaPyrola pictaPyrola picta, commonly called white-veined wintergreen or whitevein shinleaf, is a perennial herb in the heath family. It is native to western North America from southwestern Canada to the southwestern United States.-External links:****...
- Shinleaf Wintergreen - Pterospora andromedea - Pinedrop
- Corallorhiza - Coral roots
- Cephalanthera austiniaeCephalanthera austiniaeCephalanthera austiniae is a species of orchid known by the common names phantom orchid and snow orchid because the entire plant is white. Native to the western United States and Canada, it is the only species of genus Cephalanthera found outside of Europe and Asia, and the only one entirely...
- Phantom Orchid
- Sarcodes sanguinea
Subalpine Zone
- 9,000 to 9,500 feet (2,700 to 2,900 m)
- Indicator speciesIndicator speciesAn indicator species is any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change...
tree- Pinus albicaulisWhitebark PinePinus albicaulis, known commonly as Whitebark Pine, Pitch Pine, Scrub Pine, and Creeping Pine occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Coast Ranges, and the northern Rocky Mountains –...
- Whitebark Pine
- Pinus albicaulis
- Other trees, and shrubs:
- Pinus balfourianaFoxtail PineThe Foxtail Pine is a rare pine that is endemic to California, United States, where it is found in two areas with a separate subspecies in each, the typical subsp. balfouriana in the Klamath Mountains, and subsp. austrina in the southern Sierra Nevada.-Description:Foxtail Pine is a tree to tall,...
subsp. austrina - Foxtail Pine - Pinus flexilisLimber PineThe Limber Pine, Pinus flexilis, is a species of pine tree-the family Pinaceae that occurs in the mountains of the Western United States, Mexico, and Canada. It is also called Southwestern White Pine and Rocky Mountain White Pine...
- Limber Pine (eastern slopes) - Pinus monticolaWestern White PineWestern White Pine, Pinus monticola in the family Pinaceae, is a species of pine that occurs in the mountains of the western United States and Canada, specifically the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Coast Range, and the northern Rocky Mountains. The tree extends down to sea level in many...
- Western White Pine - Juniperus occidentalisJuniperus occidentalisJuniperus occidentalis is a shrub or tree native to the western United States, growing in mountains at altitudes of 800-3,000 m .-Description:...
- Sierra Juniper - Salix eastwoodiaeSalix eastwoodiaeSalix eastwoodiae is a species of willow known by the common names Eastwood's willow, mountain willow, and Sierra willow. It is native to the northwestern United States, where it grows in subalpine and alpine climates in mountain habitat such as talus and streambanks.-Description:It is a shrub...
- Mountain Willow (& alpine zone) - Salix melanopsisSalix melanopsisSalix melanopsis is a species of willow known by the common name dusky willow. It is native to western North America from British Columbia and Alberta to California and Colorado, where it grows in many types of moist and wet habitat, such as riverbanks and subalpine mountain meadows, on rocky and...
- Dusky Willow
- Pinus balfouriana
- Herbaceous perennials and others:
- Carex spectabilisCarex spectabilisCarex spectabilis is a species of sedge known by the common name showy sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to northwestern North America from Alaska to the Northwestern United States, and in California and Utah...
- Showy Sedge - Carex subnigricansCarex subnigricansCarex subnigricans is a species of sedge known by the common name nearlyblack sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the western United States from California to Wyoming, where it grows in moist and dry mountain habitat above in elevation in sub-alpine and alpine flora zones, such as in the...
- Nearlyblack Sedge (& alpine zone) - Carex vernaculaCarex vernaculaCarex vernacula is a species of sedge known by the common name native sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the western United States, where it grows in moist mountain habitat in alpine climates and higher subalpine elevations...
- Native Sedge - Luzula divaricataLuzula divaricataLuzula divaricata is a species of flowering plant in the rush family known by the common name forked woodrush. It is native to the California, Nevada, and Alaska in the United States....
- Forked Woodrush (& alpine zone) - Luzula oresteraLuzula oresteraLuzula orestera, with the common name Sierra woodrush, is a species of flowering plant in the rush family. It is endemic to the High Sierra Nevada of California, where it grows in fellfields, talus, and other habitat in regions of subalpine and alpine climates.-Description:Luzula orestera is a...
- Sierra Woodrush (& alpine zone) - Melica strictaMelica strictaMelica stricta is a species of grass known by the common name rock melic.-Distribution:It is native to California, Oregon, Nevada, and Utah in the western United States. It grows in mountain and plateau habitats, including areas with an alpine climate.-Description:It is a perennial bunchgrass which...
- Rock Melic (bunchgrass) - (& alpine zone) - Mimulus laciniatusMimulus laciniatusMimulus laciniatus is an uncommon species of monkeyflower known by the common name Cutleaf monkeyflower.-Description:Mimulus laciniatus is an annual herb producing a mostly hairless stem reaching maximum heights between 3 and 38 centimeters...
- Cutleaf Monkeyflower (sn-endemic) - Poa leptocomaPoa leptocomaPoa leptocoma is a species of grass known by the common names marsh bluegrass and western bog bluegrass. It is native to western North America from Alaska to New Mexico, where it grows in subalpine and alpine climates and the Arctic...
- Western Bog Bluegrass (& alpine zone)
- Carex spectabilis
Alpine Zone
- 9,500 feet (2,900 m) +
- Antennaria pulchellaAntennaria pulchellaAntennaria pulchella is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names Sierra pussytoes and beautiful pussytoes...
- Sierra Pussytoes - Aquilegia pubescensAquilegia pubescensAquilegia pubescens is a species of columbine known by the common names Sierra Columbine and Coville's Columbine. It is sometimes called "yellow columbine", but this properly refers to A. flavescens.-Distribution:...
- Sierra Columbine (sn-endemic) - (& sub-alpine zone) - Carex capitataCarex capitataCarex capitata is a species of sedge known by the common name capitate sedge. It has a circumboreal distribution, growing in wet places in boreal forests and mountain meadows in alpine climates.-Description:...
- Capitate Sedge - Carex nigricansCarex nigricansCarex nigricans is a species of sedge known by the common name black alpine sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to western North America from Alaska to the Sierra Nevada in California, to Colorado, where it grows in wet areas in mountain, taiga, and tundra habitat.-Description:Carex nigricans...
- Black Alpine Sedge - Carex phaeocephalaCarex phaeocephalaCarex phaeocephala is a species of sedge known by the common name dunhead sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to much of western North America, from Alaska to California to New Mexico, where it grows from foothills to high elevation habitats, including areas of alpine climate, generally in...
- Dunhead Sedge (& down to foothill woodlands zone) - Carex raynoldsiiCarex raynoldsiiCarex raynoldsii is a species of sedge known by the common name Raynolds' sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to western North America from California to Colorado to Yukon, where it grows in mountain meadows in subalpine and alpine climates....
- Raynolds' Sedge (& sub-alpine zone) - Lomatium shevockiiLomatium shevockiiLomatium shevockii is a rare species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Owens Peak desertparsley, or Owens Peak lomatium. It is endemic to Kern County, California, where it is known from only two occurrences at Owens Peak, one of the highest points of the Sierra...
- Owens Peak Desert-parsley (sn-endemic) - Muhlenbergia richardsonisMuhlenbergia richardsonisMuhlenbergia richardsonis, known by the common name Mat muhly, is a species of grass. It is native to North America, where it can be found throughout much of Canada, Alaska, the western half of the contiguous United States through California, and in Baja California, Mexico.-Habitat:Muhlenbergia...
- Mat Muhly - Oxyria digynaOxyria digynaOxyria digyna a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family. It is common in the tundra of Arctic...
- Mountain Sorrel - Ptilagrostis kingiiPtilagrostis kingiiPtilagrostis kingii is a species of grass known by the common names King's ricegrass and Sierra false needlegrass. It is endemic to the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada of California, where it grows in meadows and near streams in subalpine and alpine climates.-Description:It is a tuft-forming...
- Sierra False Needlegrass (sn-endemic), (& sub-alpine zone) - Salix oresteraSalix oresteraSalix orestera is a species of willow known by the common name Sierra willow, or gray-leafed Sierra willow. It is native to the Sierra Nevada of California and western Nevada, where it grows in moist areas in high mountain subalpine and alpine climates...
- Gray-leafed Sierra Willow (& sub-alpine zone) - Salix planifoliaSalix planifoliaSalix planifolia is a species of willow known by the common names diamondleaf willow and tea-leafed willow. It is native to northern and western North America, including most all of Canada, Alaska, and the western United States...
subsp. planifolia- Tea-Leafed Willow (& sub-alpine zone)
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See also
- Ecology of the Sierra Nevada
Category: Flora of the Sierra Nevada region - for links to all individual plant species' articles
- List of Giant Sequoia groves in the Sierra Nevada
Category: Fauna of the Sierra Nevada - for links to all individual animal species' articles
- "Sierra Nevada" de Eje Volcánico Transversal - (Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt)Trans-Mexican volcanic beltThe Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt also known as the Transvolcanic Belt and locally as the Sierra Nevada , is a volcanic belt that extends 900 km from west to east across central-southern Mexico...
- the separate and massive Mexican range, also known as the "Sierra Nevada"
External links
- Jepson Manual: Sierra Nevada Foothills - flora checklist
- Jepson Manual: High Sierra Nevada - flora checklist
- Yosemite Online Library—Natural History Books
- California Native Plant Society: Identifying Native Plants website