<b>Colorado National Monument</b>, Mesa County, Colorado.

Eastern Mojave Vegetation

Colorado National Monument, Mesa County, Colorado.

Colorado National Monument is a National Park Service unit near the city of Grand Junction, Colorado. Sheer-walled canyons cut deep into sandstone and granite–gneiss–schist rock formations. This is an area of desert land high on the Colorado Plateau, with pinyon and juniper forests on the plateau. The park hosts a wide range of wildlife, including red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, ravens, jays, desert bighorn sheep, and coyotes. Activities include hiking, horseback riding, road bicycling, and scenic drives; a visitor center on the west side contains a natural history museum and gift shop. There are scenic views from trails, Rim Rock Drive, which winds along the plateau, and the campground. Nearby are the Book Cliffs and the largest flat-topped mountain in the world, the Grand Mesa.

The monument's feature attraction is Monument Canyon, which runs the width of the park and includes rock formations such as Independence Monument, the Kissing Couple, and Coke Ovens. The monument includes 20,500 acres (32.0 sq mi; 83 km2), much of which has been recommended to Congress for designation as wilderness.

Elevation: 6135ft, 1870m.

Articles that refer to this location:

Rim Rock Drive, Colorado National Monument, Mesa County, Colorado: at CO 340; at Monument;
Miscellaneous Notes on the Colorado Flora: Grayia spinosa; Tetraneuris ivesiana; Townsendia incana;
Field Notes: 22 May 2026; 23 May 2026;

Area Plant Lists that contain this location:

Area Plant List for Colorado National Monument.

Townsendia incana along the Alcove Trail.	Townsendia incana along the Alcove Trail.	Tetraneuris ivesiana along the Alcove Trail.	Monument Canyon in Colorado National Monument.	Grayia spinosa along the Alcove Trail.
Rhus trilobata along the Alcove Trail.	Fendlera rupicola along the Alcove Trail.	Bighorn sheep along the road.	Rock fin along Rim Rock Drive.	Independence Monument.
The Coke Ovens from their overlook.	Ute Canyon.	Packera multilobata at the Ute Canyon Overlook.

Species collected at or near this location.

This list summarizes plants collected or observed at this specific, named location. It does not include plants collected or observed at nearby named or unnamed locations. It may be more instructive to use the Area Lists that contain this location.

TAS – The plant was collected by Tom Schweich.
Oth – The plant was collected by someone, but not Tom.
Obs – The plant was observed, but not collected.

Cupressaceae

Juniperus osteosperma (Torrey) Little. Utah Juniper (Obs) CC:5

Ephedraceae

Ephedra viridis Cov. Green Ephedra (Obs) CC:6

Pinaceae

Pinus edulis Engelm. Pinyon Pine (Obs) CC:6

Asteraceae

Chaetopappa ericoides (Torrey) G. L. Nesom. Sand Aster (Obs) CC:4

Anthemideae

Artemisiinae

Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. Silver Wormwood (Obs) CC:4

Artemisia tridentata Nutt. Big Sagebrush (Obs) CC:5

Astereae

Astranthiinae

Townsendia incana Nutt. Hoary Easter Daisy (Obs) CC:6

Chrysopsidinae

Heterotheca villosa (Pursh) Shinners. Hairy False Goldenaster (Obs) CC:3

Gutiereziinae

Gutierrezia sarothrae (Pursh) Britton & Rusby. Broom Snakeweed (Obs) CC:3

Pentachaetinae

Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G. I. Nesom & G. I. Baird. Rubber Rabbitbush (Obs) CC:?

Solidagininae

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (Hook.) Nutt. Yellow Rabbitbrush (Obs) CC:?

Bahieae

Hymenopappus filifolius Hook. Fine Leaved Wooly White (Obs) CC:6

Helenieae

Tetraneurinae

Tetraneuris ivesiana Greene. Ives' Four-Nerve Daisy (Obs) CC:6

Senecioneae

Packera multilobata (Torr. & A. Gray) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve. Lobeleaf Groundsel (Obs) CC:5

Boraginaceae

Oreocarya flava A. Nelson. Plateau Yellow Cryptantha (Obs) CC:7

Brassicaceae

Lepidium montanum Nutt. Mountain Peppergrass (Obs) CC:5

Cactaceae

Echinocereus triglochidiatus Engelm. Three-Spine Hedgehog Cactus (Obs) CC:7

Opuntia (L.) Mill. Prickly Pear (Obs) CC:?

Chenopodiaceae

Grayia spinosa (Hook.) Moq. Spiny Hop Sage (Obs) CC:6

Hydrangeaceae

Fendlera rupicola Engelm. & A. Gray. Cliff Fendler-Bush (Obs) CC:8

Nyctaginaceae

Mirabilis multiflora (Torrey) A. Gray. Colorado Four O'clock (Obs) CC:7

Oleaceae

Fraxinus anomala S. Watson. Single-Leaf Ash (Obs) CC:7

Onagraceae

Oenothera pallida Lindl. Pale Evening Primrose (Obs) CC:4

Polemoniaceae

Ipomopsis roseata (Rydb.) V.E. Grant. Rosy Gilia (Obs) CC:8

Rosaceae

Amygdaloideae

Maleae

Amelanchier alnifolia (Nutt.) Nutt. ex Roem. utahensis (Koehn.) M. E. Jones. Western Serviceberry (Obs) CC:6

Dryadoideae

Dryadeae

Cercocarpus montanus Raf. Alder-Leaf Mountain Mahogany (Obs) CC:6

Purshia stansburyana (Torr.) Henr. Stansbury's cliffrose (Obs) CC:6

Asparagaceae

Agavoideae

Agaveae

Yucca harrimaniae Trel. Harriman Yucca (Obs) CC:7

Poaceae

Aristideae

Aristida purpurea Nutt. longiseta (Steud.) Vasey. Purple Threeawn (Obs) CC:4

Bromeae

Bromus tectorum L. Cheat Grass (Obs) CC:0

Cynodonteae

Hilaria jamesii (Torr.) Benth. Galleta (Obs) CC:6

Stipeae

Eriocoma hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Rydb. Indian Rice Grass (Obs) CC:3

Hesperostipa comata (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth. Needle and Thread (Obs) CC:6

Total number of taxa:	33
Native Taxa: (serif, italic, bold)	29
Exotic Taxa: (sans-serif, italic)	1
Nativity Undetermined: (default font, italic)	3
Listed Weeds: Identified as Weed	0
FQA, CC, n=30, Mean C: 5.4, FQI = 29.6

If you have a question or a comment you may write to me at: tomas@schweich.com I sometimes post interesting questions in my FAQ, but I never disclose your full name or address.

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M,
N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

[Home Page] [Site Map]

Date and time this article was prepared:3:14:51 PM, 8/1/2026.