Plant Life

Plant life of Warm Springs Natural Area

Within the 1,220 acres of Warm Springs Natural Area, visitors will find woodlands, marshes, meadows, shrubland, and former animal pastures. These ecosystems are fed by the springs and, in turn, provide habitat for wildlife.

More than 260 species of plants are found at Warm Springs. In addition to native vegetation, several non-native and invasive species have taken root. Species that harm or interfere with Warm Springs’ natural ecosystems are managed or eradicated.

Here are some examples of the vegetation and ecosystems found at Warm Springs:

Fremont Cottonwood

(Populus fremontii)

Velvet ash woodland

(Fraxinus velutina)

Honey mesquite

(Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana)

Saltbush shrubland

(Atriplex gardneri)

California fan palms

(Washingtonia filifera)

Marshes

Duck pond

Tall whitetop

Invasive

Malta starthistle

Invasive

Although the California fan palms (Washingtonia filifera) are generally believed by most scientists to be introduced by humans, they are iconic to the area and provided critical wildlife habitat especially for bats. Fan palms are removed for fire breaks, where they impact streamflow, and are trimmed for fuels reduction.

To learn more about the plants and wildlife at Warm Springs, read our Biological Resources and Management Report. 

Note: To read the Biological Resources and Management Report, you may need to download Adobe Reader.