Craters of the Moon Flora

The little plants growing in the volcanic cinders at Craters of the Moon National Monument were even more striking than the limber pines.  I was prompted to check out the books and found a wildflower guide for a reasonable price.  I was disappointed to find that none of the plants of the National Monument were in it.  The clerk must have been have read my mind, since she slipped a very well done little brochure identifying all the specialized plants of Craters of the Moon into the front of the book, and I had what I needed.  Closer examination of the wildflower book revealed that it only listed three penstemon species.  It was not the bargain that I thought it was.

The cinders are like bits of creosote in appearance and their light weight. As a growing media, they give new meaning to the term "well drained".  The most prevalent species, by far, is dwarf buckwheat, Eriogonum ovalifolium.  At first glance, it appears to be the only thing that is growing in the finest grade of cinders.  Remarkably, they are evenly spaced due to the fact that they require a threshold volume of soil to provide the moisture needed for them grow.  Each plant occupies its own needed volume of soil, and new plants cannot get established in between existing ones because of the lack of available moisture.

The flowers are lovely, and show brightly against the gray black of their surroundings.  It's as if a bit of the bright desert sun was distilled and placed atop the stems.

The foliage seems almost white against the cinders.  The fine, tight tomentum on the leaves undoubtedly helps to preserve every water molecule that the plant is able to capture in this harsh environment.

The flowers are even attractive as they begin to fade, turning a nice shade of blush pink. The papery calyces of the individual flowers are retained.

Dusty maiden, Chaenactis douglasii, is another very cool plant.  In this other-worldly environment, they look like some alien life form derived from a starfish and an Achillea.  It wasn't in bloom, and it didn't need to be as far as I was concerned, since it is lovely in leaf.  The pine needles give you a good idea of the tiny rosettes of this biennial.

I wonder if these plants might hold the key to colonizing harsh places like Mars.  Even if we never colonize other planets, we should keep them here on earth and tout them as the ultimate container garden plant for people who live in cold desert areas and never remember to water.