[Wildflower bloom in the Southern Washington Cascades: 2018]

Wildflower Bloom in the Cascade Mountains of Washington

Mt. Adams: Willard Springs Foot Trail (Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge)

May 6, 2018

Wetland meadows along the Willard Springs Trail, Conboy Lake NWR......May 1, 2018.

Wetland meadows along the Willard Springs Trail, Conboy Lake NWR......May 1, 2018. The wetlands are greening up and in some places, there are masses of plantain-leaved buttercups as well as an increasing amount of camas in bloom. We also enjoyed watching numerous red-winged blackbirds arising from their hidden nests, a few greater sandhill cranes hunting for food, overflying northern harriers and numerous elk (several weeks from birthing their calves).

*indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Smooth Horsetail: Equisetum laevigatum

Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum ssp. pubescens - Fiddleheads visible.

Grand Fir: Abies grandis

Lodgepole Pine: Pinus contorta (var. latifolia ?)

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas' Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Mountain Alder: Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia ? - Beginning to leaf out.

California Filbert: Corylus cornuta var. californica - Leafing out.

Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides

Scouler's Willow: Salix scouleriana

Green-banded Mariposa Lily: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus - Basal leaves.

Cat's Ear Mariposa: Calochortus subalpinus - In bud.

* Common Camas: Camassia quamash var. brevistyla - Beginning to bloom.

* Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis var. affinis

Columbia Lily: Lilium columbianum - Leaves.

* Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum stellatum - Beginning to bloom.

Rein Orchid: Piperia species - Basal leaves only.

Common Bastard Toad-flax: Comandra umbellata var. californica - In bud.

* Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. rubra

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophyllum

* Oregon Anemone: Anemone oregana var. oregana

Western Columbine: Aquilegia formosa var. formosa

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Plantain-leaved Buttercup: Ranunculus alismifolius var. alismifolius

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Swamp Buttercup: Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. orthorhynchus

* Little Buttercup: Ranunculus uncinatus

* Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

* Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens

* Brown's Peony: Paeonia brownii - One plant in bloom.

Nuttall's Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii - Past bloom.

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Fading out of bloom.

* Field Pepperweed: Lepidium heterophyllum - In bloom at refuge headquarters parking area.

Meadow Alumroot: Heuchera chlorantha - Basal leaves only.

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum (formerly Lithophragma bulbifera) - Fading out of bloom

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflora

* Straggly Currant: Ribes divaricatum

* Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. )

Purple Marshlocks: Comarum palustre

Suksdorf's Hawthorn: Crataegus douglasii var. suksdorfii - BIn bud.

Sticky Cinquefoil: Drymocallis sp. (formerly Potentilla glandulosa (var. ?) )

* Woods Strawberry: Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata

* Broad-petal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala

Oregon Crabapple: Malus fusca

Slender Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata - Leaves.

Sulphur Cinquefoil: Potentilla recta - Leaves.

Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana (var. ?) - In bud.

* Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata

* Nevada Pea / Thick-leaved Peavine: Lathyrus lanszwertii var. aridus - Beginning to bloom.

* Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus var. silvicola - Beginning to bloom.

* Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus

Large-leaf Lupine: Lupinus polyphyllus ssp. polyphyllus - In bud.

* Baker's Violet: Viola bakeri

* Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea var. venosa

Common Clarkia: Clarkia rhomboidea - Leaves.

* Bur-chervil: Anthriscus caucalis

Western Water-hemlock: Cicuta douglasii

* Indian Parsnip: Cymopterus foeniculaceus - Beginning to bloom.

Cow Parsnip: Heracleum maxima - Basal leaves only.

Fern-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium multifidum - Basal leaves only.

* Nine Leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum - Beginning to bloom.

* Common Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi - Beginning to bloom.

* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens - Beginning to bloom.

Pinemat Manzanita: Arctostaphylos nevadensis ssp. nevadensis

Kinnikinnick: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. columbiana - In bud.

Western Starflower: Trientalis latifolia - In bud.

Buckbean: Menyanthes trifoliata

Night-blooming Morning Glory: Calystegia atriplicifolia ssp. atriplicifolia - Leafy vines forming.

* Midget Phlox: Phlox gracilis (formerly Microsteris gracilis var. humilior) -

* Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - Fading out of bloom.

* Wood's Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora var. austiniae

* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale

* Slender Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora -

Rosy Owlclover: Orthocarpus bracteosus - Leaves.

* Common Bedstraw: Galium aparine

Northern Bedstraw: Galium boreale

Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum

Twinflower: Linnaea borealis

Orange Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa

* Black Twinberry: Lonicera involucrata - Fading out of bloom.

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus

Creeping Snowberry: Symphoricarpos mollis var. hesperius

* Rosy Plectritis: Plectritis congesta

Round-leaf Harebell: Campanula rotundifolia - In bud.

Pathfinder: Adenocaulon bicolor - Basal leaves only.

Spearleaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa - Basal leaves only.

Woodrush Pussytoes: Antennaria luzuloides - In bud.

* Field Pussytoes: Antennaria howellii ssp. howellii

Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia - Leaves.

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana

* Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans - Beginning to bloom.

* Sweet Marsh Butterweed: Senecio hydrophiloides

* Western Butterweed: Senecio integerrimus var. ochroleucus - Beginning to bloom.

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Seen Along This Route:

Douglas Squirrel - Heard

Elk Herds

Northern Harrier

Osprey (with fish in talons)

Great Blue Heron

Greater Sandhill Cranes

Northern Flickers

Canada Geese

Mallards

Western Meadowlarks

Red-winged Blackbirds

Yellow-headed Blackbirds

European Starlings

Western Tanagers (heard)

American Robins

Chipping Sparrows

Dark-eyed Juncos

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Yellowthroat

Tree Swallows

Violet-green Swallows

House Wrens

Garter Snakes


Paul Slichter