[Wildflower Bloom in the Cascade Mountains of Washington: 2012]

Wildflower Bloom in the Cascade Mts. of Washington

Mt. Adam: Yakama Reservation: Island Springs Trail #66 & Ridge of Wonders up to Little Mt. Adams

August 13, 2012

Mt. Adams from the summit of Little Mt. Adams...........August 13, 2012.

The east side of Mt. Adams from the Ridge of Wonders.........August 13, 2012.

As of August 2012, the Island Springs Trail should be considered a difficult hiking trail. It involves a hike of about 7 miles in length with total altitude gain of over 2000'. The bridge over Hellroaring Creek is washed out, so it involves wading a glacier fed (as in icy cold) creek with depths over the knees. The trail is no longer maintained, so the trail is obscured in many places by downed limbs, trees and shrubs and is overgrown by numerous forbs, grasses and sedges. It is helpful to have prior experience with the route to avoid getting lost.


* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Island Springs Trail #66:

Pacific Silver Fir: Abies amabilis

Oregon Boxwood: Paxistima myrsinites

Engelmann Spruce: Picea engelmannii

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa

Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides

Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa var. balsamifera

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii

Scouler's Willow: Salix scolueriana

Mountain Hemlock: Tsuga mertensiana

* Needlegrass: Achnatherum sp.

* Pinegrass: Calamagrostis rubescens

* Cat's Ear Mariposa Lily: Calochortus subalpinus

* Queen's Cup: Clintonia uniflora

Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum - Pods only.

* Tiger Lily: Lilium columbianum

Rosy Twisted Stalk: Streptopus lanceolatus - Past bloom.

White Trillium: Trillium ovatum - Past bloom.

* Green False Hellebore: Veratrum viride

Merten's Coralroot: Corallorhiza mertensiana - Past bloom.

* White Bog Orchid: Platanthera dilatata var. dilatata

* Slender Bog Orchid: Platanthera stricta (formerly Habenaria saccata)

* Alpine Knotweed, Pokeweed: Aconogonon phytolaccifolium (formerly Polygonum phytolaccaefolium)

* Newberry's Knotweed: Aconogonon davisiae (formerly Polygonum newberryi)

* Heart-leaved Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

* Sulfur-flowered Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum var. subalpinum

* Douglas' Knotweed: Polygonum douglasii

* Pussypaws: Cistanthe umbellata var. caudicifera (formerly Spraguea umbellata)

* Heart-leaved Springbeauty: Claytonia cordifolia

* Oregon Campion: Silene oregana

Starwort: Stellaria sp.

* Columbia Monkshood: Aconitum columianum var. columbianum

* Crimson Columbine: Aquilegia formosa

* Western Meadowrue: Thalictrum occidentale

Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens

* Brook Saxifrage: Saxifraga odontoloma

Prickly Currant: Ribes lacustre

Sticky Currant: Ribes viscosissimum

Spring Gooseberry: Ribes watsonianum - Spiny fruits forming.

* Large-leaved Avens: Geum macrophyllum var. macrophyllum

Creambush Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor - In bud.

* Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa var. nevadensis

Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata

Little Wild Rose: Rosa gymnocarpa

* Dwarf Bramble: Rubus lasiococcus

* Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus

Cascade Mt. Ash: Sorbus scopulina var. grayi

Sitka Mt. Ash: Sorbus sitchensis var. grayi

* Menzie's Spiraea: Spiraea douglasii var. menziesii

* Pyramid Spiraea: Spiraea x pyramidata

* Nevada Pea: Lathyrus nevadensis var. nevadensis

* American Vetch: Vicia americana var. americana

Baker's Violet: Viola bakeri

Snow Brush: Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus

* Norton's St. John's Wort: Hypericum scouleri ssp. nortoniae

* Fireweed: Chamaenerion angustifolium

* Common Willow-herb: Epilobium ciliatum ssp. glandulosum

* Diffuse Groundsmoke: Gayophytum diffusum

* Lyall's Angelica: Angelica arguta

* Cow Parsnip: Heracleum lanatum

Pinemat Manzanita: Arctostaphylos nevadensis

* Pinedrops: Pterospora andromedea

Western Azalea: Rhododendron albiflorum

* Nightblooming Morning Glory: Calystegia atriplicifolia ssp. atriplicifolia

* Large-flowered Collomia: Collomia grandiflora - Fading out of bloom.

* Sky Rocket, Scarlet Gilia: Ipomopsis aggregata (formerly Gilia aggregata)

* Western Polemonium: Polemonium occidentale ssp. occidentale

Fendler's Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum fendleri

* Variedleaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla

Tall Phacelia: Phacelia procera

* Tall Bluebells: Mertensia paniculata var. borealis

* Western Horsemint: Agastache occidentalis

* Common Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata

* Suksdorf's Paintbrush: Castilleja suksdorfii

* Common Monkeyflower: Erythranthe guttata

* Lewis' Monkeyflower: Erythranthe lewisii

* Large Mountain Monkeyflower: Erythranthe caespitosus

* Turtle Heads: Nothochelone nemorosa

* Leafy (Sickle-top) Pedicularis: Pedicularis racemosa

* Glaucous Penstemon: Penstemon euglaucus

* Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus

* Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum

* Kelloggia: Kelloggia galioides

Purpleflower Honeysuckle: Lonicera conjugialis

Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus var. utahensis

* Sitka Valerian: Valeriana sitchensis

* Bluebell Bellflower: Campanula rotundifolia

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis

Pathfinder: Adenocaulon bicolor

* Orange Agoseris: Agoseris aurantiaca

* Western Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea

* Broad-leaved Arnica: Arnica latifolia

* Douglas' Sagewort: Artemisia douglasiana

* Subalpine Daisy: Erigeron glacialis ssp. glacialis

* Klickitat Aster: Eucephalus glaucescens

* Cascade Aster: Eucephalus ledophyllus var. ledophyllus

Roughleaf Aster: Eurybia radulina

* Rocky Mountain Sunflower: Helianthella uniflorus var. douglasii

* White-flowered Hawkweed: Hieracium albiflorum

* Scouler's Woolly-weed: Hieracium scouleri var. scouleri

* Streambank Butterweed: Packera pseudaurea

* American Sawwort: Saussurea americana - Beginning to bloom.

Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - Past bloom.

* Arrowleaf Groundsel: Senecio triangularis

* Canada Goldenrod: Solidago canadensis var. salebrosa - Beginning to bloom.

* Parry's Leafy Aster: Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. parryi - Beginning to bloom.


Wildflowers Seen atop The Ridge of Wonders and Little Mt. Adams:

Coral Fungus: Ramiria sp. ?

Suaela

Subalpine Fir: Abies lasiocarpavar. lasiocarpa

Common Juniper: Juniperus communis

Whitebark Pine: Pinus albicaulis - Most mid- to old age trees have died. Young plants and seedlings continue to thrive, possibly because they are protected during the winter by the snow pack?

* Slender Beak Sedge: Carex athrostachya

* Long-stolon Sedge: Carex inops ?

* Small-wing Sedge: Carex microptera ?

* Dunhead Sedge: Carex phaeocephala

* Showy Sedge: Carex spectabilis

* Drummond's Rush: Juncus drummondii

* Merten's Rush: Juncus mertensianus

* Parry's Rush: Juncus parryi

* Hitchcock's Wood-rush: Luzula glabrata ssp. hitchcockii

* Piper's Wood-rush: Luzula piperi

* Suksdorf's Brome: Bromus (suksdorfii ?)

* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides ssp. elymoides (formerly Sitanion hystrix)

* Idaho Fescue: Festuca idahoensis

Rattlesnake Plantain: Goodyera oblonifolia

* Newberry's Knotweed: Aconogonon davisiae (formerly Polygonum newberryi)

* Oval Leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum ovalifolium var. nivale

* Alpine Buckwheat , Dirty Socks: Erigonum pyrolifolium var. coryphaeum

Alpine Mountain-sorrel: Oxyria digynia

* Pussypaws: Cistanthe umbellata var. caudicifera

* Slender Mountain Sandwort: Arenaria capillaris ssp. americana

* Nuttall's Sandwort: Minuartia nuttallii ssp. nuttallii

* Columbia Gorge Rockcress: Arabis furcata - A few still blooming at higher altitudes.

* Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum

* Small-fruit Smelowskia: Smelowskia ovalis var. ovalis

* Alpine Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina

* Tolmie's Saxifrage: Saxifraga tolmiei

* Shrubby Cinquefoil: Dasiphora floribunda (formerly Potentilla fruticosa)

* Partridge Foot: Luetkea pectinata - Beginning to bloom.

* Brewer's Cinquefoil: Potentilla drummondii var. breweri

* Fan-leaf Cinquefoil: Potentilla flabellifolia

Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa var. pseudorupestris

* Dwarf Lupine, Low Mt. Lupine: Lupinus lepidus var. lobbii

* Silky Lupine: Lupinus sericeus ssp. sericeus var. flexuosus

* Mountain-parsley, Martindale's Desert Parsley: Lomatium martindalei

Western Sweetcicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis

Pipsissewa: Chimaphila umbellata

* Pink Mountain-heather: Phyllodoce empetriformis - Fading out of bloom.

* Yellow Heather: Phyllodoce glanduliflora

* Alpine Collomia: Collomia larsenii (formerly C. debilis var. larsenii)

* Spreading Phlox, Diffuse Phlox: Phlox diffusa ssp. longistylis

* California Jacob's Ladder: Polemonium californicum

* Sky-pilot, Elegant Jacob's Ladder: Polemonium elegans - Just past bloom.

* Magenta Paintbrush: Castilleja parviflora var. oreoplola

* Davidson's Penstemon: Penstemon davidsonii var. davidsonii

* Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus - Fading out of bloom.

* Small-flowered Penstemon: Penstemon procerus var. tolmiei

* Rough Harebell: Campanula scabrella

Pale Agoseris: Agoseris glauca var. monticola - In bud.

* Woolly Pussytoes: Antennaria lanata

* Umber Pussytoes: Antennaria umbrinella

* Smallhead Arnica: Arnica gracilis (formerly A. latifolia var. gracilis)

* Nodding Arnica: Arnica parryi

* Alpine Aster: Oreostemma alpigenum var. alpigenum (formerly Aster alpigenus var. alpigenus) - Beginning to bloom.

* Rabbitbrush Goldenweed: Ericameria bloomeri - Just beginning to bloom.

* Dwarf Mountain Fleabane: Erigeron compositus

* Oregon Sunshine, Woolly Sunflower: Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium

* Dwarf Alpinegold: Hulsea nana

* Smooth Mountain Dandelion: Nothocalais alpestris

* Dwarf Goldenrod: Solidago simplex ssp. simplex var. nana - Beginning to bloom.


Animals Observed Along the Entire Route:

Red-tailed Hawk (Light phase)

Goshawk (or Coopers Hawk?)

Ravens

Stellers Jays

Clarks Nutcrackers

Grouse

Northern Flicker

Dark-eyed Juncos

Calliope Hummingbird ?

Elegant Day Moths

Anise Swallowtails

Pale Swallowtails

Lorquins Admirals - Adult (and larva dining on the ray flowers of Hieracium scouleri)

Hoary Commas

Great Arctics

Pine Whites

Brown Elfins

Boisduval's Blue ?

Ochre Ringlet ?

Fritillaries

Checkerspots

Sulfur


Paul Slichter E-mail