[Wildflower Bloom for Central Oregon, 2003]
Dixie Butte

Malheur N. F.

June 18 & 22, 2003
Eager members of the Native Plant Society of Oregon in search of great shots of wildflowers, trees, and shrubs to photograph during snow showers on Dixie Butte, June 22, 2003.
Malheur N.F. Map Coordinates: T11S R33E S28
Dixie Butte may be accessed from US Highway 26 approximately 27 miles east of John Day, OR. One exits onto Forest Road #2610 which is on the north side of the highway. After crossing a cattle guard, the road turns sharply left. Ascend past a winter ski area. The road is often rutted and very rocky. The gravel hear is often grapefruit sized. The road is not recommended for trailers due both to its rockiness and narrowness. Passenger cars may have trouble too. I bottomed out on rocks a number of times. After about 4 miles, you will come upon a clearing at about the treeline with a smaller forest road (#749) veering off to the left. Open, sagebrush and wildflower slopes will be visible in front of you. I parked here. The road is passable for 4-wheel drives, but would be tenuous at best (especially near the summit) for many passenger vehicles with low clearance. This saddle also affords several nice spots for primitive camping.

The walk along the road from the saddle to the summit is about one mile in length. Many wildflowers may be found along it from mid June to mid July. Few people seem to come up here so the walk is pleasant. The open slopes are steep and rocky but are also passable. The summit contains a low lookout structure which is manned during the summer. The views are great, with a nearly 360¾ view. Part of the Elkhorn Mts are visible to the east, the Middle Fork of the John Day River to the northwest, John Day, OR and Prairie City, OR with the Strawberry Mts as a backdrop visible to the southwest and south, and the rolling forests and sagebrush hills astride US 26 may be viewed for many miles to the east. The summit elevation is 7592'.

*Indicates the wildflower is currently blooming.

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

*Tolmie's Onion: Allium tolmiei

*Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria atropurpurea

*Panicled Death Camas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum

Piper's Golden Buckwheat: Eriogonum flavum var. piperi

Wyeth Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides var. heracleoides - Almost in bloom.

Alpine Fleeceflower: Aconogonon phytolaccaefolium var. glabrum

Prickly Sandwort: Eremogone aculeata

*Mountain Sandwort: Eremogone capillaris

*Red Columbine: Aquilegia formosa

*Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum

*Holboell's Rock Cress: Arabis holboellii var. retrofracta

*Mountain Tansymustard: Descurainea incisa ssp. incisa

*Wild Candytuft: Thlaspi fendleri var. glaucum

Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens

Lance-leaf Stonecrop: Sedum lanceolatum

*Roundleaf Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina

*Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera (now Lithophragma glabrum)

*Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

*Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum

*Mountain Prickly Currant: Ribes montigenum

*Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum var. ciliatum

*Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa (var. ?)

*Bitter Cherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata

*Kellogg's Spurred Lupine: Lupinus (argenteus var. heteranthus?)

*Spurred Violet: Viola adunca

*Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea ssp. venosa

Blue Flax: Linum perenne *

*Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum (var. triternatum ?)

*Desert Parsley: Lomatium vaginatum ?

*Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis

*Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens

* Green Gentian: Frasera speciosa

*Skunk-leaved Polemonium: Polemonium californicum

*Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum

*Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata (var. hastata?)

*Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha

*Long-flowered Blue Bells: Mertensia longiflora

Nettle-leaved Horsemint: Agastache urticifolia

*Red Besseya: Besseya rubra (In fruit)

Linear-leaved Paintbrush: Castilleja liniariifolia

*Common Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata var. miniata

*Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

White Coiled-beak: Lousewort: Pedicularis contorta var. contorta

*Taperleaved Penstemon: Penstemon attenuatus var. palustris

*Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus

Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - Almost in bloom.

*Tall Pussy-toes: Antennaria anaphaloides

Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea - Almost in bloom.

*Umber Pussy-toes: Antennaria umbrinella

*Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

Mountain Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana

*Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata

Hawksbeard: Crepis species

*Cutleaf Daisy: Erigeron compositus

*Eaton's Fleabane: Erigeron eatonii var. villosus - A few in bloom.

*Woolly Goldenweed: Stenotus languinosus var. languinosus

*Woolly Groundsel: Packera cana

*Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus

Paul Slichter