Wildlife: Saskatchewan's Grasslands National Park, 1 by Lilypon

Lilypon wrote:
The plants found in the coulees, on buttes and along creeks are indicative of the amount of moisture and type of soil present. The natural grasslands of south-western Saskatchewan are called mixed-grass prairie. In the park area the dominant plant forms are grasses. Common grass species are spear grass, wheat grass, and blue gramma grass. Grasses are only one element that makes up the natural cover of grasslands. Trees and shrubs such as aspen, green ash, wolf willow and buffalo berry take hold on the valley floors and in the coulees where there is more moisture. In drier locations, sage, rabbit brush, greasewood, mosses, lichens and cacti make up a significant part of the plant community. There is a succession of colours and aromas in the grasslands as the wildflowers bloom. Crocus, prairie onion, cinquefoil, rose, vetch, locoweed, violets, asters, fleabanes, goosefoot, and buttercups are just a few of the many wildflowers that are found in the area.


Flowering Crocus.....