Black Mesa, a formation beloved by many of the Rio Grande Pueblo people, stands in dark contrast to the reddish hues of the Rio Grande Valley. At the ski area, besides the stunning views, you'll notice ponderosa pine, spruce, aspen, columbine, wild strawberries and other plants suited to the cooler, damper climate at 12,000 feet. As you head down toward Santa Fe through the Santa Fe National Forest and Hyde State Park, the vegetation changes. Natural vegetation throughout most of the county includes ricegrass, sagebrush and western wheatgrass. A gentle stream offers the perfect spot for an afternoon of picknicking, fishing, hiking or sketching.
Junipers have purple berries that attract birds.
Both common in the Santa Fe area, they are tough, slow-growing evergreens. They tolerate heat and below-freezing temperatures and once established survive in a climate where rain is always a blessing. Pi on trees alive today were growing when the Spanish occupied the city of Santa Fe. Because of the elevation, wildflowers of the Santa Fe area have more in common with those of southern Colorado than with their Albuquerque cousins just 60 miles south. You'll find the vivid blue of delicate-looking flax, the deep purple, scarlet and pale pink penstamon, the white blooms and feathery seeds of Apache plume and cheery orange and red blanket flowers.