Trees and Plants

Mammoth Cave National Park supports more than 1,300 plant species within less than 50,000 acres -- an extraordinary diversity of species in so limited an area. This is a direct result of the underlying landscape, climate, and ecosystem of the park, which is located in a transitional zone between open grasslands and dry oak-hickory forests to the west, and moister mixed forests to the east. The park also sits between the sub-tropical climates to the south and the colder northern climates. Plant species from the east, west, north, and south all converge here, most at the limits of their natural range. The sheer number and variety of different habitats in the park is staggering: dry upland flats; sand-stone ridges; limestone exposed slopes; karst ravines; broad alluvial deposits along the Green River; gorges full of hemlock; deep sinkholes and subterranean streams; old-growth forests; mid-successional forests; barrens; savannah; and wetlands. Each of these habitats fosters a different community of plants, interconnected with one another. The number of plant species in the park that are listed as Endangered, Threatened, or Species of Concern is around 25, meaning the park plays a key role in the survival of these species. For many of the same reasons the native plant diversity is so extraordinary, many introduced non-native plants also thrive there. The park actively works to keep invasive non-natives from out-competing its native plant communities. The wildflowers in the park draw many visitors each spring; the tallgrass prairie and savannah ecosystems comprise a remnant of the 3-5 million acres of barrens that once covered this region. Here, you can find prairie grasses such as Big Bluestem, Indian Grass, Little Bluestem, and Switchgrass as well as the flowering plants that thrive in concert with these grasses: Prairie Dock, Purple Coneflower, Culvers Root, Tall Coreopsis, Prairie Coneflower, Blazing Star, Sunflower, Gold Rod, and Aster. Grassland-management tools such as controlled burning are helping to keep the barrens healthy.