[Wildflower Bloom in Central and Eastern Washington: 2019]

Wildflower Bloom in Central and Eastern Washington

UW Observatory atop Manastash Ridge and Observatory Road north from the junction with Wenas Road about 0.3 miles west of Ellensburg Pass

(Along Observatory Road from the junction with Wenas Road about 0.3 miles west of Ellensburg Pass uphill to the area around the UW Observatory)

May 27, 2019

L.T. Murray Wildlife Area

View of the UW Observatory atop Manastash Ridge surrounded by buckwheat scablands.....May 27, 2019.

View of the UW Observatory atop Manastash Ridge surrounded by buckwheat scablands.....May 27, 2019. Visible plants include Gairdner's penstemon (Penstemon gairdneri), Douglas' buckwheat (Eriogonum douglasii) and thyme-leaf buckwheat (Eriogonum thymoides).

A view north towards the Stuart Range in the Wenatchee Mountains as seen from atop Manastash Ridge.....May 27, 2019.-- A view south across upper Umtanum Canyon towards Umtanum Ridge at the skyline......May 27, 2019.

A view north towards the Stuart Range in the Wenatchee Mountains as seen from atop Manastash Ridge.....May 27, 2019. - A view south across upper Umtanum Canyon towards Umtanum Ridge at the skyline......May 27, 2019.

A view southwest towards the east face of the Goat Rocks from the UW Observatory atop Manastash Ridge......May 27, 2019. - A view south towards Ellensburg Pass and Umtanum Ridge with Carey's balsamroot (Balsamorhiza careyana) in the foreground from the UW Observatory atop Manastash Ridge.....May 27, 2019.

The upper photo at left shows a view north towards the Stuart Range in the Wenatchee Mountains as seen from atop Manastash Ridge. The photo at upper right shows a view south across upper Umtanum Canyon towards Umtanum Ridge at the skyline. The photo at centert left shows a view north towards the Stuart Range in the Wenatchee Mountains as seen from atop Manastash Ridge...with numerous wildflowers in the foreground. The photo at center right shows a view south across upper Umtanum Canyon towards Umtanum Ridge at the skyline. Aprimitieve jeep road follows near the ridge line and if one can get up their in an AWD or 4WD vehicle, there would be ample opportunities to hike the ridgeline cross country. Visit on weekdays if you wish to avoid numerous off road vehicles! The photo at lower left shows view southwest towards the east face of the Goat Rocks from the UW Observatory atop Manastash Ridge. The photo at lower right shows a view south towards Ellensburg Pass and Umtanum Ridge with Carey's balsamroot (Balsamorhiza careyana) in the foreground from the UW Observatory atop Manastash Ridge. All photos taken on .May 24, 2019.

* Indicates the plant is currently in bloom.

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

* Thickhead Sedge: Carex pachystachya

* Common Spikerush: Eleocharis palustris

* Needlegrass: Achnatherum sp.

* Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

Idaho Fescue: Festuca idahoensis

Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Nevada Blue Grass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia

* Sandberg's Blue Grass: Poa secunda ssp. secunda

* Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegenaria spicata var. spicata

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - In bud.

* Nevius' Onion: Allium nevii

* Common Camas: Camassia quamash (ssp. maxima ?)

Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Pods developing.

* Panicled Deathcamas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum

* Douglas' Brodiaea: Triteleia grandiflora var. grandiflora

Western Blue Flag: Iris missouriensis

Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Past bloom.

* Northern Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum (var. leianthemum ?) - Both cream and yellow-flowered forms.

* Douglas' Buckwheat: Eriogonum douglasii var. douglasii

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum var. elatum - In bud.

Parsnipflower Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum (var. proliferum ?) - In bud.

* Thymeleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum thymoides

Douglas' Knotweed: Polygonum douglasii

Willow Dock: Rumex salicifolilus (var. ?)

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

* Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva

Annual Water Minerslettuce: Montia fontana

* Lineleaf Montia: Montia linearis

Kittitas Larkspur: Delphinium multiplex

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Little Buttercup: Ranunculus uncinatus

* Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

* Bitter Wintercress: Barbarea vulgaris

* Black-flowered Rockcress: Boechera atrorubens

Cusick's Rockcress: Boechera cusickii - Fruits forming.

* Hairystem Rockcress: Boechera pauciflora

* Secund Rockcress: Boechera retrofracta

* Pennsylvania Bittercress: Cardamine pennsylvanica

* Blue Mustard: Chorispora tenella

* Tansymustard: Descurainia sp.

Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Fruits forming.

Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera - Pods well-formed.

Clasping Peppergrass: Lepidium perfoliatum - In bud.

Jim Hill Mustard: Sisymbrium altissimum

Bulblet Prairie Stars: Lithophragma glabrum (L. bulbifera) - Past bloom.

* Small-flowered Prairie Stars: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Swamp Saxifrage: Micranthes nidifica

* Golden Currant: Ribes aureum - Past bloom.

Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum - Past bloom.

* Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia

* Douglas' Hawthorn: Crataegus douglasii

Sticky Cinquefoil: Drymocallis (glandulosa var. ?) ?

* Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum

Creambush Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor var. discolor

Slender Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis var. gracilis - In bud.

* Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata

* Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana

* Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata

Pearhip Rose: Rosa woodsii

* Yakima Milkvetch: Astragalus reventiformis

* Few-flowered Pea: Lathyrus pauciflorus var. pauciflorus

* Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus

Stony Ground Lupine: Lupinus saxosus - Fruits forming.

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - Past bloom.

American Vetch: Vicia americana

False Mermaid: Floerkea proserpinacoides

Oregon Checkermallow: Sidalcea oregana var. oregana

* Hooked Spur Violet: Viola adunca

Sagebrush Violet: Viola trinervata - Past bloom.

Tall Annual Willowherb: Epilobium brachycarpum

* Small-flowered Willowherb: Epilobium minutum - In bloom around the observatory.

* Obscure Suncup: Neoholmgrenia andina

* Hilgard's Suncup: Neoholmgrenia hilgardii

* Swale Desert Parsley: Lomatium ambiguum

Canby's Desert Parsley: Lomatium canbyi - Fruits maturing.

Large-fruit Desert Parsley: Lomatium macrocarpum - Fruits well developed.

* Fern-leaved Desert Parsley, Chocolate Tips: Lomatium multifidum

* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

* Mountain Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis

Gairdner's Yampah: Periderida montana - Leaves.

Large-flowered Collomia: Collomia grandiflora

Scarlet Gilia: Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. aggregata - In bud.

Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis - Past bloom.

* Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa

Littlebells Polemonium: Polemonium micranthum - Past bloom.

* Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum - Fading out of bloom.

Great Basin Nemophila: Nemophila breviflora - Past bloom.

Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata - In bud.

* Lineleaf Phacelia: Phacelia linearis

* Corn Gromwell: Buglossoides arvensis

* Cryptanth: Cryptantha sp. - Small-flowered species on scablands around observatory.

* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale

* Scouler's Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys scouleri

Mountain Balm: Monardella odoratissima - Growing in vernal creeks.

* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. acuta

* Thompson's Paintbrush: Castilleja thompsonii

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Gairdner's Penstemon: Penstemon gairdneri var. gairdneri

Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

* American Brooklime: Veronica americana

* Corn Speedwell: Veronica arvensis

* Thyme-leaved Speedwell: Veronica serpyllifolia var. serpyllifolia

Common Plantain: Plantago major

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus

Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. vaccinioides (S. oreophilus)

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla

* Pearly Pussytoes: Antennaria anaphaloides

Stoloniferous Everlasting: Antennaria flagellaris

* Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

* Twin Arnica: Arnica sororia

Western Wormwood: Artemisia ludoviciana (ssp. ?)

Stiff Sagebrush: Artemisia rigida

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana

* Hooker's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza hookeri

* Silvercrown Luina: Cacaliopsis nardosmia - Beginning to bloom.

Diffuse Knapweed: Centaurea diffusa

Bull Thistle: Cirsium vulgare

Bearded Hawksbeard: Crepis barbigera - In bud.

* Low Hawksbeard: Crepis modocensis

Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa

* Yellow Desert Daisy: Erigeron linearis

* Cushion Fleabane: Erigeron poliospermus

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri - In bud.

* Mountain Tarweed: Madia glomerata

* Slender Tarweed: Madia gracilis ?

Pineappleweed: Matricaria discoidea

Narrowleaf Goldenweed: Nestotus stenophyllus - Past bloom.

False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides - Past bloom.

* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus

* Woolly Goldenweed: Stenotus lanuginosus var. lanuginosus

* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

Yellow Salsify: Tragopogon dubius - In bud.

* Northern Mule's Ears: Wyethia amplexicaulis


Animals Seen Along This Route:

California Squirrels

Yellow Pine Chipmunks

American Kestrels

Red-tailed Hawks

Turkey Vultures

Ruffed Grouse - booming in forest near the observatory.

Ravens

Lewis' Woodpeckers

Northern Flicker

Western Meadowlarks

American Robins

Western Bluebirds

Spotted Towhees

American Goldfinches

Cassin's Finches

Chipping Sparrows

Dark-eyed Juncos

Vesper Sparrows

Pine Siskins

House Wrens

California Tortoiseshells

Julia's Orangetips

Ochre Ringlets

Snowberry Checkerspot


Paul Slichter