Weekly Gem #284, Lithophyte Park

Published 3/11/23

Location: This ‘hidden gem’ is located on Skalkaho “Highway,” about halfway between Skalkaho Pass and Skalkaho Falls, in Montana (see the Clue Me! Map). We have taken the liberty to designate the rock and its tree as Lithophyte Park. This park serves in lieu of a guardrail. Keep right, you’re good. Go left, you’ll wind up 250 feet down, in Daly Creek.

Keep right!

Lithophyte Park is unique in that all plants in the park are lithophytes (including both epilithic lithophytes (plants that grow directly on the surface of a rock) and endolithic lithophytes (plants (such as the pine tree) that grow in the crevices of rocks)).

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Here's the hidden gem entry from our Clue Me! map.

Clue

A tree with a view

Description

A lone tree upon a lone rock

Why It's Interesting

This particular tree, along with several other intrepid plants, have made a home on this cylindrical rock that is sheer cliff on all sides.

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