The flora of the Bridger-Teton, which includes over 1,000 species of plants, are complex, due to the orientation of the mountain ranges that run north-south, creating a barrier to the prevailing westerly air flow—hence, low rainfall along the eastern flanks. Their microclimates form conditions for three major vegetation groups. In the drier Great Basin zone of the southern and southwest portion of the forest you will find mountain mahogany, big sage brush, saltbrush, bitterbrush, and aspen; in the moister Southern Rocky Mountain zone of the central portion of the forest look for blue spruce, limber pine, saltbrush, big sagebrush, and rabbit brush; look for Whitebark, common juniper, menziesia, pine grass, and hair grass in the Northern Rocky Mountain zone at the northern end of the forest. Other common woody species of the area include lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, douglas fir, and Englemann spruce in the montane areas, and cottonwood, willow, adler, and dogwood in the riparian areas.
Primary wildflower months are June and July in the Jackson area and one to two months earlier in the southern end of the forest. The forest can be alive with hundreds of species displaying various hues of yellows, blues, reds, and whites during flowering. Species commonly seen in the grasslands and sage areas are asters such as goldenrod, various lupines, larkspur, sand lily, locoweed, buckwheat, Indian paint brush, scarlet gilia, and evening primrose. Moving into the forested lands you will see columbines, pinedrops, Rocky Mountain lilies, heart-leafed arnica, spring beauty, and fairy slipper orchids. In the marshes and wet meadows you will find elephanthead, glacier lilies, marsh marigolds, and various species of monkey flower. Mountain meadows offer shooting stars, figworts, fireweed, wild sweet William, wild geraniums, bitterroot, mule's ears, and mountain blue bells.
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