[Wildflower Bloom in Central and Eastern Oregon: 2011]
Pine Creek Road and FS Road 5401

Malheur National Forest

Includes plants seen along Pine Creek Road from US Highway 26 uphill to near the Pine Creek Trailhead (the trailhead to Baldy Mt. from the north)

June 3, 2011

View south towards the north-facing slopes of Baldy Mountain where there are still several feet of snow on the ground, although the snow depth is much shallower on the side facing the south. 4WD vehicles can drive to the Pine Creek Trailhead on the north side of Baldy Mt., and regular passenger vehicles can approach to within one-quarter to one-half mile without fear of getting stuck in a snow drift.

View south towards the north-facing slopes of Baldy Mountain where there are still several feet of snow on the ground, although the snow depth is much shallower on the side facing the south. 4WD vehicles can drive to the Pine Creek Trailhead on the north side of Baldy Mt., and regular passenger vehicles can approach to within one-quarter to one-half mile without fear of getting stuck in a snow drift. Photographed on June 3, 2011.
* indicates wildflowers currently in bloom.

Western Juniper: Juniperus occidentalis

California White Fir: Abies concolor x Abies grandis

Western Larch: Larix occidentalis

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Douglas Maple: Acer glabrum var. douglasii

* Water Birch: Betula occidentalis ?

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

* Clustered Field Sedge: Carex praegracilis ?

* Meadow Foxtail: Alopecurus (pratensis ?)

Idaho Fescue: Festuca idahoensis

Giant Wildrye: Leymus cinereus

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Big Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia

* Sandberg's Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. secunda

Tolmie's Onion: Allium tolmiei - In bud.

* Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. grandiflorum - Tepals turn rusty red as they fade.

Giant Purple Trillium: Trillium petiolatum

Panicled Deathcamas: Zigadenus paniculatus

* Grass Widow: Olsynium douglasii var. inflatum

Sulphur Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum (var. ?)

Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

* Western Springbeauty: Claytonia lanceolata

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

* Pale Alyssum: Alyssum alyssoides

* Nuttall's Draba: Draba densifolia

* Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum var capitatum

* Field Pepperweed: Lepidium campestre

* Alpine Pennycress: Noccaea fendleri ssp. glauca

Wormleaf Sedum: Sedum stenopetalum

* Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum

* Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum

Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius

* Woods Strawberry: Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata

Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa - In bud.

* Stiff Milkvetch: Astragalus conjunctus var. conjunctus

Whitney's Balloon Milkvetch: Astragalus whitneyi var. sonneanus

* Bushy Peavine: Lathyrus rigidus

Velvet Lupine: Lupinus leucophyllus - In bud at lower elevation.

* Fennel Cymopteris: Cymopterus terebinthinus var. foeniculaceus

* Glaucous Desert Parsley: Lomatium donnellii

Pinemat Manzanita: Arctostaphylos nevadensis - In bud.

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Phlox: Phlox sp.

* Woolen Breeches: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. alpinum

* Small Bluebells: Mertensia longiflora

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

Tapertip Penstemon: Penstemon attenuatus - In bud.

Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - In bud.

* Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia - Blooming at lower elevations.

Mountain Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana

* Arrowleaf Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sagittata

* Serrate Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza serrata - Blooming at lower elevation.

* False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides

* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - Beginning to bloom at lower elevations.

* Woolly Goldenweed: Stenotus lanuginosus var. lanuginosus - Beginning to bloom.

* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

Animals seen along this route:

Red Squirrel

Belding Ground Squirrels

Townsend's Solitaire

Dark-eyed Juncos

Chipping Sparrows

Mountain Chickadees

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Sara's Orange-tip

Ticks

View north towards Dixie Butte and the Greenhorn Mountains (horzion at center) from high on the Pine Creek Road, Malheur National Forest.............June 3, 2011.

View north towards Dixie Butte and the Greenhorn Mountains (horzion at center) from high on the Pine Creek Road, Malheur National Forest.............June 3, 2011.
Paul Slichter