[Wildflower Bloom for Central and Eastern Oregon: 2012]

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Wildflower Bloom for Central and Eastern Oregon

Fish Lake Campground

June 2, 2012

Fish Lake as seen on June 2, 2012. Steens Mountain

A view towards the head of Fish Lake from the outlet area.............June 2, 2012.
* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Semi-comprehensive Plant List for Fish Lake

The campground opened immediately after Memorial Day this year. Unfortunately, 10 inches of fresh snowfall just before the holiday kept the North Loop Road closed for the many people who visited the area over the holiday weekend. The aspen are just leafing out and there only a few plant species in bloom. Cold air sinks into the basin containing the lake at night which prevents plants from growing as fast (and would keep potential campers cold at night!). We did not have time to thoroughly explore the entire area around the lake, but I would hypothesize that more plants could be found in much advanced state of development higher on the slopes around the lake.

* Willow: Salix (sp ?)

Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides

Booth's Willow: Salix boothii ?

Variable Willow: Salix commutata ?

Drummond's Willow: Salix drummondiana ?

Geyer's Willow: Salix geyeriana ?

Whiplash Willow: Salix lasiandra var. caudata ?

Lemmon's Willow: Salix lemmonii ?

* Field Woodrush: Luzula campestris var. congesta ? - Beginning to bloom.

White False Hellebore: Veratrum californicum var. californicum

* Meadow Larkspur: Delphinium distichum

* Dwarf Plantain-leaved Buttercup: Ranunuculus alismifolius var. alismellus

Whitestem Gooseberry: Ribes inerme

* Valley Yellow Violet: Viola vallicola

* Goosefoot Violet: Viola purpurea var. venosa

Sticky Geranium: Geranium viscosissimum (var. ?)

Gorman's Desert Parsley: Lomatium gormanii

Western Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis

Bog Wintergreen: Pyrola asarifolia

Green Gentian: Frasera speciosa

Blue Stickseed: Hackelia micrantha

Elephant Heads: Pedicularis groenlandica

Twinberry: Lonicera involucrata

Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata var. vaseyana

Steen's Mt. Thistle: Cirsium peckii

Elk Thistle: Cirsium scariosum

* Orange Sneezeweed: Dugaldia hoopesii (Hymenoxis hoopesii or Helenium hoopesii) - Beginning to bloom.

Animals Seen around Fish Lake Camp Ground:

Belding Ground Squirrels

Golden Eagles

Red-tailed Hawk

Northern Flicker

Tree Swallows

Brewer's Blackbirds

Red-winged Blackbirds

White-crowned Sparrows

Song Sparrows

Yellow Warblers

Common Snipes

Mourning Cloak

Paul Slichter