[Bloom Reports for the Washington Cascades: 2015]


Wildflowers in Bloom At Dark Meadows

From a spur trail off Forest Road #2325 uphill 1 mile to the Boundary Trail #1 and west to Dark Meadows

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

July 3, 2015

Dark Meadows and Along the Boundary Trail #1 from FR 2325, Gifford Pinchot National Forest......July 3, 2015.

White bog orchids (Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys) blooming in a wet meadow in Dark Meadows with what may be Dark Mountain behind, Gifford Pinchot National Forest........July 3, 2015.

From Forest Road (FR) 23 drive 5 miles up FR 2325. The Dark Creek Trail #264 starts from an unmarked trailhead on Road 2325 next to a small creek on the south side of the road. There are several wide spots in the road to park.. The trail ascends a slope and in less than a mile intersects with Boundary Trail #1 at an unmarked junction. Turn west (right) on the Boundary Trail and head towards Dark Meadows in about 1.5 miles. If interested, continue along the Boundary Trail and climb to the top of the next ridge (to the south of Jumbo Peak) for additional views.

* Denotes the plant was in bloom.

Common Clubmoss: Lycopodium clavatum

Western Maidenhair Fern: Adiantum aleuticum var. aleuticum

Common Lady Fern: Athyrium filix-femina var. cyclosorum

Field Horsetail: Equisetum arvense

Pacific Oakfern: Gymnocarpium disjunctum

Western Sword Fern: Polystichum munitum

Western Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens

Pacific Silver Fir: Abies amabilis

Noble Fir: Abies procera

Vine Maple: Acer circinatum

Rocky Mountain Maple: Acer glabrum var. douglasii

Slide Alder: Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata

Alaska Cedar: Chamaecyparis nookatensis

* Western Bunchberry: Cornus unalaschkensis

Common Juniper: Juniperus communis var. montana

Oregon Boxwood: Paxistima myrsinites

Western White Pine: Pinus monticola

Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Sitka Willow: Salix sitchensis ?

Mountain Hemlock: Tsuga mertensiana

* Daggerleaf Sedge: Juncus ensifolius

* Hitchcock's Wood-rush: Luzula hitchcockii ?

* Small-flowered Woodrush: Luzula parviflora

* Star Sedge: Carex echinata var. echinata

* Woodrush Sedge: Carex luzulina

* Merten's Sedge: Carex mertensii

* Nebraska Sedge: Carex nebrascensis ?

* Small-fruited Bulrush: Scirpus microcarpus

* California Brome: Bromus carinatus var. carinatus

* Tufted Hairgrass: Deschampsia cespitosa ?

* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

* Blue Wildrye: Elymus glaucus

* Alpine Timothy: Phleum alpinum

* Timothy: Phleum praetense

* Rannoch-rush: Scheuchzeria palustris

Bead Lily: Clintonia uniflora

Avalanche Lily: Erythronium montanum

* Columbia Lily: Lilium columbianum

Rosy Twistedstalk: Streptopus lanceolatus - Fruits ripening.

Western Wakerobin: Trillium ovatum

Green False Hellebore: Veratrum (viride var. eschscholtzii?) - In bud.

Bear Grass: Xerophyllum tenax

* Broad-lipped Twayblade: Listera convallarioides

* White Bog Orchid: Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys

* Slender Bog Orchid: Platanthera stricta

* Hooded Ladies'-tresses: Spiranthes romanzoffiana

Poke Knotweed: Aconogonon phytolaccifolium

* Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

* Heart-leaved Springbeauty: Claytonia cordifolia

* Siberian Springbeauty: Claytonia siberica

Largeleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

* Vanilla Leaf: Achlys triphylla

* Western Columbine: Aquilegia formorsa

Marsh Marigold: Caltha leptosepala (former ssp. biflora) - Past bloom.

* Little Buttercup: Ranunculus uncinatus

False Bugbane: Trautvetteria caroliniensis

Leatherleaf Saxifrage: Leptarrhena pyrolifolia

* Brook Saxifrage: Micranthes odontoloma

Brewer's Mitrewort: Mitella breweri

* Foamflower: Tiarella trifoliata var. unifoliata

Prickly Currant: Ribes lacustre

Broad-petal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala - Fruits ripening.

Largeleaf Avens: Geum macrophyllum var. macrophyllum

Fan-leaf Cinquefoil: Potentilla flabellifolia

Baldhip Rose: Rosa gymnocarpa

Dwarf Bramble: Rubus lasiococcus

Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus

Strawberry Leaf Bramble: Rubus pedatus

Salmonberry: Rubus spectabilis - Berries ripening.

Cascade Mountain Ash: Sorbus scopulina var. cascadensis - Fruits ripening.

Sitka Mountain Ash: Sorbus sitchensis var. grayi - Fruits ripening.

* Rose Meadowsweet: Spiraea splendens (var. ?)

* Birdfoot Deervetch: Lotus corniculatus

Long-stalked Clover: Trifolium longipes var. longipes - Past bloom.

* White Clover: Trifolium repens

Pioneer Violet: Viola glabella

Darkwoods Violet: Viola orbiculata

* Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium - Beginning to bloom.

* Enchanter's Nightshade: Circaea alpina

* Fringed Willowherb: Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum

* Fringed Willowherb: Epilobium ciliatum ssp. glandulosum

* Diffuse Goundsmoke: Gayophytum diffusum

* Sharptooth Angelica: Angelica arguta

* Cow Parsnip: Heracleum lanatum

* Gray's Lovage: Ligusticum grayi

Common Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

Pinemat Manzanita: Arctostaphylos nevadensis

Pipsissewa: Chimaphila umbellata - In bud.

Slender Wintergreen: Gaultheria ovatifolia

* Side-bells Wintergreen: Orthilia secunda

* Pink Wintergreen: Pyrola asarifolia

* Cascade Azalea: Rhododendron albiflorum

Thin-leaved Huckleberry: Vaccinium membranaceum - Berries ripening.

Oval-leaf Huckleberry: Vaccimium ovalifolium - Berries ripening.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

Variedleaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla (ssp. ?)

Tall Bluebells: Mertensia paniculata var. borealis

* Self Heal: Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata

* Cooley's Hedge-nettle: Stachys cooleyae

* Scarlet Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata

* Common Monkeyflower: Erythranthe guttata

* Lewis' Monkeyflower: Erythranthe lewisii

* Musk Monkeyflower: Erythranthe moschata

* Turtleheads: Nothochelone nemorosa

* Sickletop Lousewort: Pedicularis racemosa

* Cascade Penstemon: Penstemon serrulatus

Alpine Speedwell: Veronica wormskoldii

* Oregon Bedstraw: Galium oreganum

* Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum

* Twinflower: Linnaea borealis

Creeping Snowberry: Symphoricarpos mollis

Northern Valerian: Valeriana sitchensis

Scouler's Harebell: Campanula scouleri - In bud.

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Orange Agoseris: Agoseris aurantiaca

* Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea

* Mountain Arnica: Arnica latifolia

* Clasping Arnica: Arnica lanceolata ssp. prima

Douglas' Sagewort: Artemisia douglasiana

* Short-styled Thistle: Cirsium brevistylum

* Subalpine Daisy: Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis

* Cascade Aster: Eucephalus ledophyllus var. ledophyllus

* White-flowered Hawkweed: Hieracium albiflorum

* Arrow-leaf Groundsel: Senecio triangularis

* Leafy Bract Aster: Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. foliaceum

Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Seen

Turkey Vulture

Ravens

Ruffed Grouse - Drumming.

Evening Grosbeaks

Hermit Thrushes

Swainson's Thrushes

Varied Thrushes

Cedar Waxwing

Dark-eyed Juncos

Song Sparrows

Pine Siskins

Townsend's Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Chestnut-backed Chickadees

Mountain Chickadees

Cascade Frogs

Purplish Copper

Fritillary

Lorquin's Admiral


Surprise Peak and Mt. Rainier from spur trail off Forest Road #2325 uphill 1 mile to the Boundary Trail #1.-- Mt. Adams from the Boundary Trail #1 in Dark Meadows, Gifford Pinchot National Forest........July 3, 2015.

Jumbo Peak (left) and Surprise Peak (right) from spur trail off Forest Road #2325 uphill 1 mile to the Boundary Trail #1. - Boundary Trail #1 entering Dark Meadows from the south, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.......July 3, 2015.

Additional views from the trail into Dark Meadows, Gifford Pinchot National Forest........July 3, 2015.

Paul Slichter