[Wildflower bloom in the Southern Washington Cascades: 2006]

Wildflower Bloom in the Cascade Mts. of Washington

Mt. Adams: DNR Road K6900

May 29, 2006

The photo above shows a close-up view of steers head, Dicentra uniflora. Photo taken from DNR rock quarry on boundary between Yakama and DNR lands on the eastern side of Mt. Adams...........May 6, 2006.

The photo above shows a close-up view of steers head, Dicentra uniflora. Photo taken from DNR rock quarry on boundary between Yakama and DNR lands on the eastern side of Mt. Adams...........May 6, 2006.
The site visited for this page's study is at an approximate elevation of 4100' and is evidently a Washington State DNR rock quarry that is atop the ridge separating Dairy Creek and Cougar Creek. The south-facing slopes are open forest of Ponderosa pine as well as some Oregon white oak with abundant grasses and colorful wildflowers. Uphill, the habitat changes quickly to a dense, dark coniferous forest. On the east side of the rockpit, rocky or gravelly slopes are vernally moist and provide a habitat for small plants normally found at lower elevations and farther to the east. The current snow level is below this ridge, but the access road has recently been plowed. Be aware that the surface of the access road has recently had large diameter gravel (up to 2-4 inches in diameter) laid on its surface, giving it quite a rough ride and endagering tires, at least for low slung passenger vehicles!
N46 07.861' --- W121 20.216' --- Elevation: 4123' --- +/-16'

* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

* 1. Sedge: Carex sp. -

* 2. Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana - Plants beginning to leaf out and bloom.

3. Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Plants with flower buds.

4. Subalpine Mariposa Lily: Calochortus subalpinus - A few plants in bud.

* 5. Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum - Now only in bloom in shaded areas on the west side of the gravel piles.

* 6. Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - A few plants still in bloom where the snow sat until the last week.

* 7. Western Spring Beauty: Claytonia lanceolata var. lanceolata - Only a few remain in bloom.

* 8. Threeleaf Lewisia: Lewisia triphylla -

* 9. Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis -

* 10. Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Now beginning to bloom.

* 11. Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium -

12. Steer's Head: Dicentra uniflora - Leaves still visible, but now long past bloom.

* 13. Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii var. nuttallii - Mostly out of bloom.

* 14. Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophrabma glabrum (formerly L. bulbifera) - Plants have already bloomed out, only 1 left in bloom.

* 15. Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflora - Numerous basal leaves seen.

* 16. Spring Gooseberry: Ribes watsonianum - A few plants beginning to bloom.

* 17. Broad-petal Strawberry, Virginia Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala - A few plants beginning to bloom.

* 18. Bitter Cherry: Prunus emarginata -

19. Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Plants cover up to a six foot square area but are at most only a few inches high.

* 20. Longspur Lupine: Lupinus arbustus - A few plants beginning to bloom.

* 21. Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Numerous small plants in bloom.

22. Gorman's Desert Parsley: Lomatium gormanii - All plants are now going to seed.

* 23. Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum - Numerous basal leaves.

* 24. Northern Sanicle: Sanicula graveolens - Beginning to bloom.

* 25. Pinemat Manzinita: Arctostaphylos nevadensis - Beginning to bloom.

* 26. Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis -

* 27. Dwarf Hesperochiron: Hesperochiron pumilus - Fairly common.

* 28. Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum - Several seen in bloom.

* 29. Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida ssp. -

* 30. Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Fairly common.

* 31. Cleavers, Annual Bedstraw: Galium aparine -

32. Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum -

33. Spearleaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa - Several plants in bud.

* 34. Carey's Balsamroot : Balsamorhiza careyana - A few plants beginning to bloom at lower levels on the south side of the site.

35. Silvercrown: Cacaliopsis nardosmia - In bud.

* 36. Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans -

* 37. False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides (formerly Microseris troximoides) -

* 38. Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - Plants with flower buds.

Animals Seen:

1. Northern Flicker

2. American Robins

3. Clarks Nutcracker

4. Numerous Dark-eyed Juncos

5. Numerous tiny, black, biting flies

Paul Slichter E-mail