Native Plants in a Fragile Environment

Corral Bluffs contains 3-4 different ecosystems: short grass prairie, bluffs, sand prairie and the dry creek bed which floods when it rains. The native plant coverage is very good with only a few weedy species in certain areas.

In 2008, El Paso County Parks department prepared a flora report of a portion of Corral Bluffs. Flora study PDF

It states that the flora study is incomplete because it was conducted in early spring and plants weren't yet observable. Dr. Tass Kelso, Professor of Biology at Colorado College, did a preliminary visit to the SE and NE corners of the Case property and noted giant sand dropseed, which is uncommon to rare in El Paso County. She also noted that some sites may possibly support annuals that are also uncommon. Her report mentioned more than once how struck she was by the highly native nature of the vegetation and that she only noted two weedy species.

Dr. Tass Kelso revisited Corral Bluffs in September 2008. Click here for her report.

The County's report recommends that any trails be adjusted to avoid sensitive species. The Colorado Natural Heritage Program prepared a report, but there wasn't a great deal of information found about the property in their BIOTICS database.

Colorado's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy from 2006, prepared by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, shows the four wing saltbush only appears in small area in the center of El Paso County. The four wing saltbush is found at Corral Bluffs. See map below.

Field Milkvetch	Desert Four O'Clock
Pincushion Cactus	Silvery Lupine
Purple Locoweed	Chalk Hill Hymenopappus
Looseflower Milkvetch	American Vetch
Coppermallow	Prairie Rocket
Woolly Plantain	Bractless Blazingstar
Perky Sue	Orange Indian Paintbrush
Pink Prickly Pear	Sand Lily
Buckwheat	Trailing Four O'Clock
Broom Groundsel	Prairie Baby's Breath
Prickly Poppy	Groundcherry
White Clover	Hairy Goldenaster
Greenthread	Lacy Tansyaster
Baker's Paperflower	Golden Groundsel
Calcareous Cryptantha	Yellow Sweet Clover
Large-flower Brickellbush	Artemisia?
Clover?	Slender-flowered Scurfpea
Skeleton Plant

Grasses

Little Blue Stem	Canada Wild Rye
	Indian Ricegrass

Trees & bushes

Pine	One Seed Juniper
Three Leaf Sumac Bush	Wax Currant Bush
Mountain Mahogany Bush	Eastern Cottonwood
Rubber Rabbitbrush