NATIVE FLORA & FAUNA
The Mt. Timpanogos region is blessed with a tremendous diversity of plants and wildlife. Every native plant, animal, and fungi species plays a key role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
Sundance Nature Alliance is committed to protecting and restoring the biodiversity of our ecosystem. A healthy ecosystem supports all life on our planet by regulating climate change, reducing the risk of wildfire, and providing clean air and water for all.
Trees
Aspen
Aspen is a deciduous tree recognized by its smooth, pale bark and leaves that tremble in the wind. In autumn, its foliage turns a vibrant yellow before falling. Aspen trees often grow in large groves that are genetically connected, all originating from a single seedling and spreading through underground roots. While individual trees live 40 to 150 years, the shared root system can survive for thousands, making some aspen colonies among the oldest living organisms on Earth.
Rocky Mountain Maple
Rocky Mountain Maple is a small deciduous tree or shrub often found in moist, shaded areas such as the canyon bottoms and mountain slopes. Also known as Smooth Maple, it has slender branches and leaves that turn a brilliant red or orange in the fall. Though smaller and more irregular in shape than aspens, it plays an important role in forest understory ecosystems, providing cover for wildlife and stabilizing soil. Its adaptability to cooler, wetter environments makes it a common sight in montane habitats across the western United States.
Douglas Fir
Douglas Fir is a tall evergreen conifer found throughout the mountainous regions of Utah, especially in cooler, higher elevations. Its cones hang downward and feature a distinctive three-pointed bract that extends between the scales, helping to identify it from other conifers. Douglas Fir plays a vital role in forest ecosystems, offering shelter for wildlife and contributing to soil stability. Its strong, durable wood has long been valued in construction, and its presence in Utah’s mixed conifer forests adds to the diversity and resilience of these landscapes.
White Fir
White Fir is a native evergreen found in Utah’s higher elevation forests, especially in cool, moist mountain zones. It has flat, bluish-green needles that curve upward along the branches and release a distinct, pleasant fragrance when crushed. Unlike many conifers, its cones grow upright on the branches and disintegrate at maturity, leaving behind a central spike. White Fir provides important habitat for wildlife and contributes to the structure and diversity of mixed conifer forests across the Intermountain West.
Flowers
Indian Paintbrush
Indian Paintbrush, belonging to the genus Castilleja, is a striking wildflower commonly seen across Utah’s meadows, foothills, and alpine slopes. Its vivid red, orange, or pink bracts resemble brushstrokes of paint, giving the plant its name. While it may appear to be a single flower, the colorful parts are actually modified leaves surrounding small, tubular blooms. Indian Paintbrush is semi-parasitic, drawing nutrients from the roots of nearby plants, which helps it thrive in nutrient-poor soils. With around 200 species across the Americas and parts of Asia, it adds vibrant color and ecological diversity to western landscapes.
Mountain Bluebell
Mountain Bluebell, Mertensia ciliata, is a native wildflower found along streams, wet meadows, and forested slopes throughout Utah’s mountain regions. Part of the borage family, it is known for its tall stems and clusters of bell-shaped flowers that range from pink to vivid blue as they mature. These blooms typically appear in late spring to early summer and are a favorite among pollinators, especially bees and hummingbirds. Mountain Bluebell thrives in moist soils and cooler elevations, adding vibrant color to wet mountain areas and helps support the plants and animals that live there.
Yarrow (Milfoil)
Yarrow, from the genus Achillea, is a hardy flowering plant commonly found in Utah’s grasslands, foothills, and open forests. It belongs to the Asteraceae family and is easily recognized by its frilly, fern-like leaves and flat clusters of small white, pink, or yellow flowers. Yarrow blooms from late spring through summer and is known for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Traditionally used in herbal medicine, it has a long history of being valued for its ability to soothe wounds and support overall wellness. Its resilience and widespread presence make it a familiar and useful part of Utah’s native plant communities.
Wild Mint
Wild Mint, Mentha arvensis, is a fragrant herb in the mint family commonly found along streams and moist meadows throughout Utah. Its soft green leaves have a refreshing scent and can be used to make herbal tea, often brewed to help with colds or digestion. The leaves are also edible raw and add a cool, minty flavor to salads or drinks. Wild Mint is a favorite among pollinators and foragers, and has long been used in herbal teas and traditional remedies, valued for its cooling flavor and soothing properties
Segolily
Sego Lily, Calochortus nuttallii, is a delicate perennial wildflower native to the Western United States and especially cherished in Utah, where it grows in dry meadows and sagebrush valleys. Its elegant white petals, often marked with a splash of yellow or lavender, bloom in late spring and early summer. The sego lily holds deep cultural significance in Utah history. During times of scarcity, the Shoshone people taught Mormon pioneers to harvest and eat its starchy bulbs, which helped sustain early settlers. In recognition of its beauty and historical importance, the sego lily was named Utah’s official state flower in 1911. The name “sego” comes from the Shoshone word “seego,” meaning edible bulb.
Monkshood
Monkshood, from the genus Aconitum, is a striking wildflower found in cooler, moist mountain areas of Utah. It is known for its deep blue to purple hood-shaped blooms that resemble a monk’s cowl. While beautiful, all parts of the plant are highly toxic and should never be touched or ingested. Historically, it was used with caution in traditional practices, but today it is appreciated for its dramatic appearance in alpine meadows and forest edges. Monkshood is a member of the buttercup family and typically blooms in late summer, adding vivid color to high-elevation landscapes.
Birds
Black-Capped Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee is one of the few songbirds that stays in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains year-round. Small and energetic, it is easily recognized by its black cap and bib, gray back and wings, and pale underside. Its call — a cheerful “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” — is often heard in forests and backyards alike. In winter, this hardy bird can enter a state of torpor, lowering its body temperature to conserve energy during cold nights. Curious and adaptable, the chickadee is a familiar and welcome presence in mountain habitats throughout the seasons.
Steller’s Jay
Steller’s Jay, Cyanocitta stelleri, is a bold and intelligent bird native to western North America, including the mountain forests of Utah. It is the only crested jay found west of the Rockies, easily recognized by its deep blue body, black head, and prominent crest. Often heard before it is seen, the Steller’s Jay mimics other birds and even human-made sounds. It is closely related to the Blue Jay of the East but adapted to coniferous forests and high elevations. Named after German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, who first recorded it in 1741, this jay is a lively and curious presence in Utah’s mountain ecosystems.
Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey is a large upland game bird native to North America and commonly found in Utah’s foothills, woodlands, and open meadows. It is one of two living species of turkey and the heaviest member of its bird order. Wild turkeys are known for their sharp eyesight and social behavior. They sometimes forage alongside deer and squirrels, forming loose groups that benefit from each other’s strengths — deer with their keen sense of smell, turkeys with excellent vision, and squirrels offering a lookout from above. This cooperative behavior helps all three species stay alert to predators while searching for food.
Red Tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk is one of the most widespread birds of prey in North America and a familiar sight across Utah’s open country, foothills, and desert edges. It belongs to the genus Buteo and is known for its broad wings, soaring flight, and distinctive reddish tail visible in adults. Red-tailed Hawks often perch on fence posts or utility poles, scanning for small mammals, reptiles, and birds. Their piercing call — a raspy scream — is commonly used in movies to represent any raptor. Adaptable and powerful, the red-tailed hawk plays a key role in maintaining balance in Utah’s ecosystems.
Goshawk
Goshawk is a powerful bird of prey found in Utah’s mountain forests, especially in dense conifer stands. It belongs to the genus Accipiter and is often considered a “true hawk” due to its broad wings, long tail, and agile flight through wooded terrain. Goshawks are known for their fierce hunting style, preying on birds and small mammals with speed and precision. As part of the Accipitridae family, they share traits with other daytime raptors like eagles and harriers. Though elusive, the Northern Goshawk plays an important role in maintaining balance within forest ecosystems.
Raven
Raven is one of the most adaptable and intelligent birds found across Utah’s wild landscapes. Known for its glossy black feathers and deep, croaking call, the raven has coexisted with humans for thousands of years. Its success as a species comes from an omnivorous diet and remarkable problem-solving abilities. Ravens feed on a wide range of foods including insects, berries, grains, carrion, small animals, and even human food waste. They are curious and resourceful, often seen using tools or working together to access hard-to-reach food. Their presence in Utah’s deserts, forests, and urban edges reflects their ability to thrive in nearly any environment.
Black Chinned Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird is a small, fast-moving bird commonly found in Utah’s foothills, canyons, and desert edges during the warmer months. Adults measure just over three inches long and have metallic green feathers on their back, white underparts, and a slender, straight bill. Males feature a subtle black throat with a hint of iridescent purple. These hummingbirds feed on flower nectar using a long, extendable tongue and also catch tiny insects in midair. As they move from bloom to bloom, they play an important role in pollinating native plants across Utah’s dry and riparian habitats.
Hairy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker is a medium-sized bird found throughout forested areas of North America, including many parts of Utah. Measuring about ten inches long with a fifteen-inch wingspan, it is often seen clinging to tree trunks and branches as it searches for insects. These woodpeckers forage by pecking into bark or prying it loose to uncover beetles, ants, and larvae. With a strong bill and sharp hearing, they play an important role in controlling forest pests. Hairy Woodpeckers are widespread and resilient, with millions across the continent, making them a familiar sight in both wild and wooded urban areas.
Animals
Snowshoe Hare
Snowshoe Hare is a mountain-dwelling mammal well adapted to Utah’s snowy winters. As the seasons change, its fur shifts from brown to white, providing camouflage against the snow. Its large, furry feet act like natural snowshoes, helping it move easily across soft drifts while staying warm. In winter, snowshoe hares feed on twigs and bark from plants like Douglas-fir, willow, snowberry, maple, and serviceberry. These quiet herbivores are an important food source for predators such as lynx, foxes, and owls, playing a key role in the balance of high-elevation forest ecosystems.
Squirrel
Ground Squirrels are social rodents commonly found across Utah’s open fields, rocky slopes, and sagebrush country. Unlike tree squirrels, they live on the ground and dig extensive burrow systems for shelter, food storage, and raising young. Ground squirrels are highly gregarious and often live in colonies with complex social behaviors, including alarm calls and cooperative vigilance against predators. Their presence supports the ecosystem by aerating soil, dispersing seeds, and serving as prey for hawks, foxes, and snakes.
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small, striped mammals commonly found in Utah’s forests, foothills, and rocky areas. They have an omnivorous diet that includes seeds, nuts, fruits, buds, grasses, fungi, insects, and occasionally small animals like frogs or bird eggs. Chipmunks are known for gathering and storing food in underground caches, a behavior that helps trees and plants by spreading seeds and supporting new growth. Their constant activity and alert nature make them important contributors to forest health and a familiar sight in many natural areas across the state.
American Beaver
The American Beaver is the largest rodent in North America and a key ecosystem engineer across Utah’s rivers, streams, and wetlands. Known for building dams and lodges out of sticks and mud, beavers create ponds that support a wide range of plant and animal life. Their work helps slow water flow, reduce erosion, and improve habitat for fish, amphibians, and birds. Beavers have been part of North American landscapes for millions of years, with fossil records dating back at least seven million years. Their presence in Utah’s waterways continues to shape and sustain healthy riparian environments.
Bobcat
The Bobcat is a medium-sized wild cat native to North America and commonly found throughout Utah’s foothills, forests, and desert canyons. With tufted ears, a short “bobbed” tail, and spotted fur, it is well adapted for stealth and camouflage in rugged terrain. Bobcats are solitary and elusive, hunting small mammals and birds with patience and precision. Despite their secretive nature, they are widespread and resilient, with healthy populations across the continent. Their ability to thrive in a variety of habitats makes them an important predator in Utah’s natural ecosystems.
Mountain Lion
The Mountain Lion, also known as cougar, puma, catamount, or panther, is a large, solitary wild cat native to the Americas and widely found throughout Utah’s rugged terrain — from desert canyons to alpine forests. It is the most widely distributed large land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. Mountain lions are stealthy hunters, mostly active at night or during dawn and dusk, though they’re occasionally seen during the day. With powerful limbs and keen senses, they prey on deer and other mammals, playing a vital role in maintaining ecological balance across Utah’s diverse landscapes.
Mule Deer
Mule Deer is a native species to western North America and one of the most iconic large mammals in Utah’s wild landscapes. It gets its name from its large, mule-like ears, which help it detect predators and stay alert. Mule deer are commonly seen in foothills, deserts, and mountain forests across the state. They are divided into two main groups: the classic mule deer and the black-tailed deer, which are more coastal. Known for their bounding gait and seasonal migrations, mule deer play a vital role in Utah’s ecosystems, supporting predators like mountain lions and helping shape plant communities through their grazing habits.
Moose
Moose is the largest and heaviest member of the deer family and can be found in northern Utah’s high-elevation forests and wetlands. Unlike other deer, male moose grow broad, flat antlers shaped like open hands, rather than the twig-like antlers seen in species like mule deer. Moose are solitary and well adapted to cold environments, often feeding on aquatic plants, shrubs, and tree bark. Their long legs help them move through deep snow and marshy terrain, making them a powerful and iconic presence in Utah’s mountain ecosystems.
Elk
Elk are one of the most iconic large mammals in Utah’s mountain forests, meadows, and aspen groves. Also known as wapiti, elk are members of the deer family and are known for their impressive size and loud bugling calls, especially during the fall mating season. Males grow large, branching antlers each year and use them to compete for mates. Elk are social animals, often seen in herds, and migrate between high-elevation summer ranges and lower wintering grounds. Their grazing helps shape plant communities, and they serve as a key food source for predators like mountain lions. Elk are a vital part of Utah’s wild heritage and are often spotted in places like the Uinta Mountains and the Wasatch Range.