Meadows

Anderson's Lupine (Lupinus andersonii) populate this meadow along a high elevation peak.

NPS Photo

What is a meadow?

Most dictionary definitions of a meadow agree that it is an open tract of land dominated by grass. Meadows at Crater Lake National Park elevate that definition. They can be wet, dry, and somewhere in between with grasses, sedges, and wildflowers or any combination thereof. The most prominent meadow in the park is the Pumice Desert along the North Entrance Park Road.

Meadows and wetlands represent a small portion of the park’s landscape but these open habitats are hotspots of plant and animal diversity. And needless to say, meadows contribute to the overwhelming beauty that makes Crater Lake National Park a treasured place.

 

Fleece flower grows across this subalpine meadow. NPS Photo

Dry Subalpine Meadows

Near the caldera rim, and along high peaks and cinder cones, dry subalpine meadows of pumice and ashy volcanic sand support grand vistas of Crater Lake and the nearby Cascadian peaks. Across these meadows grow diminutive plants that have adaptations similar to desert species. The plants resilient enough to survive here are often very short with thick, waxy leaves, and a dense covering of hairs to deflect intense sunlight.

Around the caldera rim, there is one meadow plant that signals the beginning and end of the short summer season at Crater Lake National Park. Fleeceflower (Aconogonon davisiae var. davisiae) emerges from the snow as bright green, but then turns a brilliant red as the days begin to shorten in the middle of summer. Eventually it dries a strawberry color and blows around the pumice meadows, collecting in low points and drainages.

 

The meadow along Sun Notch Trail is abundant with grasses.  NPS Photo

Grasses and Sedges

Drier grass and sedge-dominated meadows are found near Crater Peak, Sun Notch, and Rim Village. Sedges appear similar to grasses, but often have triangular stems while grasses have hollow, round stems. These expansive tree-less areas display an array of green and gold shades depending on the sun, rain, and the onset of snow.

Wildflowers such as Anderson’s lupine (Lupinus andersonii)(topp photo), and Cascade aster (Eucephalus ledophyllus) add highlights of color. Grass- and sedge-dominated meadows provide forage and habitat for many wildlife species.

 

This lush wet meadow in the lower elevation of the park is populated with a variety of tall wildflowers and grasses.  NPS Photo

Wet Meadows

At lower elevations and near streams, lush wet meadows provide ideal habitats for many species of birds, mammals, amphibians, and invertebrates, many of which are not found in higher elevations and around the lake. Colorful wildflower displays line the banks of creeks, and surround open pools and springs. Abundant tracks indicate that elk and deer frequent these meadows.

The summer months are often warm and dry. Wet meadows and wetlands, while subject to seasonal drying, often serve as water sources for wildlife.These meadows are oases of diversity in a sea of coniferous forest.

 

Morning highlights the sparce beauty of a pumice meadow.

NPS Photo

Diverse Yet Fragile

These diverse habitats are also very fragile. With short growing seasons, some require hundreds of years to develop enough nutrients to feed future generations of plants. Others need every advantage to grow and re-seed across the meadow in three or four months.

Protect Crater Lake’s meadows by staying on designated trails and walkways. Avoid trampling the wildflowers, grasses, sedges, and other fragile meadow plants.

Meadows are beautiful to photograph. Click here for information on the Pumice Desert and to view more photos of meadows in the park.

 

 

Identifying and Listing

The vascular plant checklist available below is a good place to begin exploring and identifying the 700 native plant species known throughout the park. This NPS checklist utilizes the nationwide USDA Plants Database. Crater Lake botanists use Oregon Flora as their source for taxonomy, which includes species specific to the park and state.

 

×

Species Attribute Definitions

Definitions

Occurrence

Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.

Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.

Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.

Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.

Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.

---

Occurrence Tags

Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.

False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.

Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.

---

Abundance

Abundant:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
• Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.

Common:

• Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
• Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.

Uncommon:

• Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
• Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.

Rare:

• Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
• Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.

Occasional:

• Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
• Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).

Unknown: Abundance unknown

---

Nativeness

Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.

Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.

Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.

×

List Differences

The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.

The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.

The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.

Select a Park:

Crater Lake National Park

Select a Species Category (optional):

All Amphibians Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Vascular Plants

Get Checklist Get Full List List Differences

Species attribute definitions

Search results will be displayed here.

Visit NPSpecies for more comprehensive information and advanced search capability. Have a suggestion or comment on this list? Let us know.