Blooming cactus in Zion National Park, Utah
A cactus, possibly a type of prickly pear, blooms in Zion National Park, Utah. Zion National Park is home to some of Utah’s most diverse flora and fauna. It hosts over 900 species of plants, including at least 8 common varieties of cacti and many more succulents.
The area was protected as Mukuntuweap National Monument by President William Howard Taft in 1909 and was later renamed Zion National Park. Zion is located on the Colorado Plateau, but borders the Basin and Range Province. Elevations in the park range from 3,600 to 8,700 feet, allowing for a wide range of animal and plant life, all of which are adapted to the area’s arid conditions. Elevation differences and geologic processes such as tectonic uplift, erosion, and sedimentation have created environments ranging from high plateaus and riparian environments to deserts and deep sandstone canyons. The park is located in Washington, Iron and Kane Counties in southwestern Utah.