Looking close with a 10x hand lens shows all sorts of tiny insects crawling around.
Birds rely on the nutritious insects and seeds. Pocket gophers, Uinta ground squirrels, as well as bears eat the roots and pika, moose, elk, and deer browse on the stalks and flowers. Lepidoptera along with bees, beetles, and flies of all sorts serve as pollinators. Plants sustain myriad insects: caterpillars who eat the leaves before transforming into moths or butterflies. It is impressive to see how much biomass is produced each year from bare ground-plants are often 3-4’ tall by mid-July. Plants are similar to the perennials in a well-nourished and watered garden border: tall and lush. Soils are relatively rich, deep, and often churned by pocket gophers. Mountain meadows are also called “tall forb communities”. They are found where there is sun, moisture, and not too hot. Snow is deep and melts off late. Elly all are relatively accessible, and as they vary in elevation, they keep blooming over the month. The road to Two Ocean Lake, up Shadow Mountain, the hike to Ski Lake, and the trails south of Teton Pass to Mt. In early July, we can see meadows beginning to bloom around Jackson Hole.
Meadows don’t come easily from a can but they can be easy to go see. Fortunately, you can go enjoy a meadow without having to plant, water, and weed. We have a wonderful array of meadows around Jackson Hole not only because we have the right ecological conditions, but also because many places escaped grazing by sheep and cows. Natural meadows can take centuries to become established. Unfortunately, this is not at all easy or quick. Many people strive to plant a meadow from a can.