This rather tall shrub of the Sonoran Zones puts on a remarkable display in April and May with its bright yellow flowers. It is most commonly seen along the highway leading to Zion National Park from the west.
Since the plant is a secondary host of the Blackstem Rust of cereals, it is not cultivated as an ornamental shrub.
Indians used the wood of this shrub for various implements or tools. They utilized the root, which contains berberine, for a tonic, and they also made from it a brilliant-yellow dye.
24. ELK THISTLE Sunflower Family _Cirsium foliosum_
This Thistle is widely scattered in these areas but is not very abundant. It is a stout plant, 2 to 3 feet tall, with large, prickly leaves. Its freshly budding flowers in deep pink are very attractive during the early summer. Hummingbirds and numerous insects gather food from its colorful flower head made up of many individual flowers. Some Thistles are very obnoxious and detrimental to agriculture.
25. CONEFLOWER Sunflower Family _Rudbeckia occidentalis_
At Cedar Breaks and in the high elevations of Zion and Bryce Canyon you can find this rank-growing plant in fair abundance. Its thimblelike, dark-brown flower head has numerous, inconspicuously small, yellow flowers that come out progressively up the cone from its base. The dark-brown cones, towering above the foliage of the plant, make a spectacular display against the deep-blue sky. The ripened seeds are very much sought after by rodents and numerous birds.
26. DESERT PRINCESPLUME Mustard Family _Stanleya pinnata_
During the months of May and June this very conspicuous plant in Zion Canyon and throughout the Sonoran Zones may be found sending up its tall spikes of lemon-yellow flowers. On the same stalk can be found the ripened and opened seed pods (siliques), fresh-blooming flowers and unopened buds all at the same time. It has tall, stout stems, rather woody at the base, and differs from many plants in that it is tolerant of soils containing gypsum.
27. STONECROP Stonecrop Family _Sedum stenopetalum_
Found mostly in very dry, rocky soil, these small plants, with smooth, fleshy leaves and starry-yellow flowers, are fairly conspicuous as they bloom during the early summer months. These plants have the ability to store up moisture in their fleshy leaves and stems. They are, therefore, well adapted to withstanding long periods of drouth. The plants are sometimes gathered for treatment of certain ailments.