Wildflower Bloom in the Cascade Mts. of Washington
Mt. Adams: Ridge of Wonders
Yakama Nation Lands
August 12, 2006
The area encompassed by this day's study range from the base of Little Mt. Adams (on slopes immediately above Island Springs) to the top of the ridge near 6700' where it overlooks Avalanche Valley to the north. The area is currently inaccessible as the Yakama Nation has closed the area in the aftermath of the Cougar Creek Fire several summers ago. Due to the number of hazard snags, travel through the area is currently very dangerous. The Island Springs Trail has yet to be maintained (perhaps during the summer of 2020?
* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.
1. Whitebark Pine: Pinus albicaulis - The majority of the older, larger plants have succumbed to disease, but a number of young plants seems to be surviving.
2. Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Sitanion hystrix - ?
3. Unidentified Sedge: Carex sp. -
4. Hitchcock's Smooth Wood-rush: Luzula glabrata var. hitchcockii - Common.
* 5. Alpine Buckwheat: Eriogonum pyrolifolium var. coryphaeum -
* 6. Sulfur-flowered Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum -
* 7. Alpine Mountainsorrel: Oxyria digynia -
* 8. Newberry's Knotweed: Polygonum newberryi - Fading out of bloom.
* 9. Pussypaws: Cistanthe umbellata var. caudicifera (formerly Spraguea umbellata) -
* 10. Slender Mt. Sandwort: Arenaria capillaris ssp. americana -
* 11. Nuttall's Sandwort: Minuartia nuttallii - A few left in bloom on steep north-facing slopes at 6700'
* 12. Parry's Catchfly: Silene parryi -
13. Suksdorf's Catchfly: Silene suksdorfii - Past bloom.
14. Drummond's Anemone: Anemone drummondii - Past bloom.
* 15. Crimson Columbine: Aquilegia formosa - In bloom on steep north-facing slopes at 6700'
* 16. Cascade Rockcress: Arabis furcata var. furcata -
17. Lancepod Draba: Draba lonchocarpa var. lonchocarpa - Going to seed.
* 18. Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum (formerly E. asperum) - ?
* 19. Alpine Smelowskia: Smelowskia carlycina var. americana -
* 20. Alpine Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina - On rocky outcrops on steep north-facing slopes at 6700'.
21. Five-stamen Mitrewort: Mitella pentandra - On rocky outcrops on steep north-facing slopes at 6700'
* 22. Yellow-dot Saxifrage: Saxifraga bronchialis var. austromontana -
* 23. Tolmie's Saxifrage: Saxifraga tolmiei -
24. Gooseberry Currant: Ribes montigenum - Red berries visible.
25. Spring Gooseberry: Ribes watsonianum - Spiny fruits visible.
* 26. Gordon's Ivesia: Ivesia gordonii -
* 27. Partridgefoot: Luetkea pectinata -
28. Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa var. pseudorupestris - Past bloom. On rock outcrops on steep north-facing slopes at 6700'
* 29. Dwarf Lupine: Lupinus lepidus var. lobbii -
* 30. Silky Lupine: Lupinus sericeus ssp. sericeus var. flexuosus - Very common.
* 31. Martindale's Desert Parsley: Lomatium martindalei -
* 32. Spreading Groundsmoke: Gayophytum diffusum - Numerous small plants beginning to bloom near Little Mt. Adams.
* 33. Gray's Lovage: Ligusticum grayii -
* 34. Yellow Heather: Phyllodoce glanduliflora - In bloom on rocky outcrops on steep north-facing slopes of the ridge.
35. Spreading Phlox: Phlox diffusa var. longistylis -
*36. California Jacob's Ladder: Polemonium californicum -
* 37. Sky Pilot: Polemonium elegans - In bloom on north-facing slopes of the ridge.
* 38. Compact Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. compacta - In bloom at 6700'.
* 39. Thompson's Paintbrush: Castilleja thompsonii - In bloom on pumice slopes adjacent to Little Mt. Adams.
40. Davidson's Penstemon: Penstemon davidsonii var. davidsonii -
* 41. Glaucous Penstemon: Penstemon euglaucous - In bloom high on the ridge.
* 42. Tolmie's Penstemon: Penstemon procerus var. tolmiei - Beginning to bloom.
* 43. Rough Harebell: Campanula scabrella - Found on red cindery outcrops.
* 44. Common Yarrow: Achillea millefolium var. alpicola -
* 45. Pale Agoseris: Agoseris monticola - In bloom on pumice slopes to the north of Little Mt. Adams.
* 46. Smallhead Arnica: Arnica gracilis (formerly A. latifolius var. gracilis) -
* 47. Rabbitbrush Goldenweed: Ericameria bloomeri - Beginning to bloom.
* 48. Subalpine Daisy: Erigeron glacialis ssp. glacialis -
* 49. Bitter Daisy: Erigeron acris ssp. acris var. debilis - In bloom on red cindery outcrops on the north-facing slopes of the ridge near 6700'
* 50. Cutleaf Daisy: Erigeron compositus -
* 51. Common Woolly Sunflower: Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium -
* 52. Alpine Hulsea: Hulsea nana - In bloom on pumice slopes to the north of Little Mt. Adams, and presumbably on the slopes of Little Mt. Adams.
* 53. Smooth Mountain Dandelion: Nothocalais alpestris -
* 54. Rocky Mt. Groundsel: Packera streptanthifolia - Occasionally in bloom along the steep north-facing slopes at 6700'.
* 55. Dwarf Goldenrod: Solidago simplex ssp. simplex var. nana - Occasionally in bloom along the steep north-facing slopes at 6700'.
Pika at 6700'
Pine Marten at 6700'
Clark's Nutcracker
Paul Slichter