CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO

TRANSITION GARDEN
The Colorado Life Zones or Transition Garden depicts five of the major bioregions in Colorado. This garden was planted with the support of the Broadmoor Garden Club and the Colorado Tree Coalition and includes signage that asks “Where did all the trees go?” From left to right, the hillside progresses from grasslands to Alpine Tundra. In Colorado, the Grasslands are classified as the ecosystems generally found under 6,000 feet in elevation, while the Shrublands are 6,000 to 8,000 feet, the Montane Forest from 8,000 to 10,000 feet, the Subalpine Forest from 10,000 to 11,400 feet, and the Alpine region above 11,400 feet.

Many native evergreens are represented in the garden including Bristlecone Pine (Pinus aristata), Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis), Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), and White Fir (Abies concolor). In their natural ecosystems, Bristlecone Pine and Limber Pine occupy the dry, windy, south-facing slopes and can be found most abundantly above 9,000 feet. Bristlecone Pine, also called Foxtail Pine, can live up to two thousand years old. Their long-lived needles supply a steady source of nutrients to carry them through rough periods and their slow growth creates denser wood that defends the trees against pest attacks. Bristlecone Pines have short needles with white resin dots that resemble snow and make them easy to identify. Limber Pine has soft grayish-blue needles that form in tufts along thin pliable branches. These flexible branches give the tree its common name and wind tolerance. Other, more common evergreen trees include the Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens). Ponderosa Pine is found on South-facing slopes and has long needles in mixed clusters of two or three. Douglas Fir is not a true fir and is distinguished by its cones that hang downward rather than upward like true firs and by the bracts that look like a snake’s tongue and jut out between the cone scales. The Colorado Spruce varies in shades of greens and blues based on plant genetics, soil mineral composition, and other factors. Picea pungens glauca is often used to denote those with more blue tones.

Scattered along the hillside are shrubs from the different ecosystems. Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa) grows five foot by five foot and produces quarter-sized white flowers and wispy seed plumes in late summer. Skunkbrush (Sumac trilobata) has attractive red to orange fall color, a distinct odor, and fuzzy maroon fruits that were used by Native Americans in many recipes. Chrysothamnus nauseosus, which grows in the sagebrush shrublands is known in Colorado as Rabbitbrush and in New Mexico as Chemisa. Masses of yellow flowers top this shrub in August and September and contrast nicely against its blue-gray foliage. Tucked behind the aspens are a group of Red-berried Elder (Sambucus pubens). Elders grow in moist sites, have white flower clusters, and bright red berries.

Many interesting perennials and grasses can be found in the sections of the garden closest to Aquatics and above goats. Big blustem (Andropogon gerardii) grows five to six foot tall and turns reddish after the first frost. It is also called Turkeyfoot because the seed heads divide into three sections and resemble a turkey’s foot. Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a closely related plant that also turns russet red in the fall, but stays under two feet tall. Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium) has yucca-like foliage and small white flower clusters that appear from July to September. Purple Prairie Clover was once classified as Petalostemon purpureum, but is now referred to as Dalea purpureum. This two to three foot tall plant is in the legume family and produces bright purple cylindrical flower heads. The compass plant (Silphium laciniatum) is a long-lived perennial that produces a four to seven foot tall stalk with up to 100 bright yellow flowers that takes a month to fully open. A close relative Silphium perfoliatum, which is commonly called Carpenter or Cup-plant, grows six to eight feet tall and has opposite leaves that join at the bottom forming a cup.

RIPARIAN GARDEN
In the nearby Riparian garden you will find many of the species above as well as others that prefer moist locations. The Red-twig or Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) is common in the nursery trade and often planted for its bright red stems that give winter interest. It is also prized for its white flowers and berries and bright reddish-purple fall color. Blue Flag Iris (Iris missouriensis) has light blue flowers and will grow as high as 10,000 feet in elevation. Golden Banner (Thermopsis montana) likes moist areas, but cope during dry years by going dormant them reemerging when moisture returns. The native beebalm, also called Horsemint, (Monarda fistulosa) has mint scented leaves and a unique shaped pinkish-purple flower that attracts hummingbirds.
 

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