While the ponderosa pines provide the canopy for the Rankin Ridge forested area, many shrubs and flowering plants grow here are well. This sub-canopy, or understory, provides food for many forest animals. One shrub, visible here, is the western snowberry. The white berry this plant produces is an important food source for many birds.

The sub-canopy in the ponderosa forest changes with soil types and moisture. In areas where the forest is not too thick, chokecherry, raspberry, and juniper are the primary shrubs. The berries from these plants provide food for birds and small animals.

Other plants found in this sub-canopy are grasses and forbs or flowering plants such as pasqueflower, shooting star, leadplant and sagewart.