Special Plants

Maple-leaf Oak

Due to its geology and elevation, Mount Magazine has some features of an island isolated from other botanical areas. Eleven separate natural communities provide habitats for a wide variety of fauna and flora. Some are Proposed, Endangered, Threatened, and Sensitive (PETS) species. The Mount Magazine State Park Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) lists 34 PETS species. Only In Arkansas by Robison and Allen, University of Arkansas Press, 1995, described a few additional species.

A number of plants found here are "northern" species with large gaps in their ranges. Some of these PETS are endemic to a small area of Arkansas and neighboring states. A few of the more noticeable special species of Mount Magazine are the Maple-leaf Oak, the Western Wallflower, and the Wood's False Hellebore.

Western Wallflower

The Maple-leaf oak (Quercus acerifolia) was discovered on the northern slopes of Mount Magazine in 1924. For many years this scrubby oak was known to occur nowhere else. However, a few populations have been located on nearby mountains. While it is considered to be a variation of the Shumard oak, research is underway to determine if it should be a separate species.

The western wallflower (Erysimum capitatum) is a beautiful orange plant in the mustard family. It grows in rocky soils on the western third of Mount Magazine. It is found in only three Arkansas counties. Wallflowers bloom in June and are enjoyed by swallowtail butterflies.

Wood's False Hellebore

Wood's false hellebore (Veratrum woodii) has been found in only a few western counties. This unusual plant occurs on north- or east-facing wooded slopes at high elevations. It may go for years without blooming. But when it does bloom, the plant sends up a tall stalk, sometimes seven-feet high, lined with star-shaped maroon flowers.

Mount Magazine Wildflowers Brochure

Mount Magazine Ferns Brochure