[Wildflower Bloom in Central and Eastern Washington: 2023]

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)

June 4, 2023

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 of the Goat Rocks and Mt. Rainier from Manastash Observatory, Kittitas County, WA.....June 4, 2023. - Wildflower meadows on the north side of Manastash Observatory, Kittitas County, WA.....June 4, 2023.--Mt. Stuart and the Stuart Range from Manastash Observatory, Kittitas County, WA......June 4, 2023.

The photo at upper left shows a view of the Goat Rocks and Mt. Rainier from Manastash Observatory, Kittitas County, WA.....June 4, 2023. The photo at upper center shows wildflower meadows on the north side of Manastash Observatory, Kittitas County, WA.....June 4, 2023. The photo at upper right shows a view Mt. Stuart and the Stuart Range from Manastash Observatory, Kittitas County, WA......June 4, 2023. The lowermost photo shows a panoramic view of the Goat Rocks and Mt. Rainier from Manastash Observatory, Kittitas County, WA.....June 4, 2023.

* Indicates the plant is currently in bloom.

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides

Scouler's Willow: Salix scouleriana

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

* Thickhead Sedge: Carex pachystachya

* Common Spikerush: Eleocharis palustris

* Lemmon's Needlegrass: Achnatherum lemmonii ssp. lemmonii - Beginning to bloom.

* 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

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

Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Pods developing.

* Douglas' Brodiaea: Triteleia grandiflora var. grandiflora

* Western Blue Flag: Iris missouriensis

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

* Douglas' Buckwheat: Eriogonum douglasii var. douglasii - Fading out of bloom.

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

* Parsnipflower Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides

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

* Thymeleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum thymoides - Fading out of bloom.

Prostrate Knotweed: Polygonum aviculare

* Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva - Fading out of bloom

Kittitas Larkspur: Delphinium multiplex

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

Jim Hill Mustard: Sisymbrium altissimum

Wormleaf Stonecrop: Sedum stenopetalum

* Small-flowered Prairie Stars: Lithophragma parviflorum

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

Douglas' Hawthorn: Crataegus douglasii

* Idaho Wood Beauty: Drymocallis glandulosa ssp. glabrata

Creambush Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor var. discolor

Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana - Past bloom.

* Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Fading out of bloom.

Shining Spiraea: Spiraea lucida

* Yakima Milkvetch: Astragalus reventiformis - Fading out of bloom.

* Lanszwert's Peavine: Lathyrus lanszwertii var. lanswertii - Fading out of bloom.

* Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus

* Wyeth Lupine: Lupinus polyphyllus (var. humicola ?)

Stony Ground Lupine: Lupinus saxosus - Fruits forming.

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - Past bloom.

Sagebrush Violet: Viola trinervata - Past bloom.

White-stem Blazingstar: Mentzelia albicaulis - In bud.

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

* Narrow-leaved Collomia: Collomia linearis

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

* Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa - Fading out of bloom at the summit.

Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum - Past bloom.

* Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata

Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale

Mountain Balm: Monardella odoratissima

* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. hispida

* Thompson's Paintbrush: Castilleja thompsonii

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Gairdner's Penstemon: Penstemon gairdneri var. gairdneri - Fading out of bloom.

* Lowly Penstemon: Penstemon humilis

Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

* American Brooklime: Veronica americana

Blue Elderberry: Sambucus cerulea

* Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos rotundifolius

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - Beginning to bloom.

* Pearly Pussytoes: Antennaria anaphaloides

Stoloniferous Everlasting: Antennaria flagellaris

* Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

* Twin Arnica: Arnica sororia

Stiff Sagebrush: Artemisia rigida

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana - Fading out of bloom.

Hooker's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza hookeri - Past bloom.

Diffuse Knapweed: Centaurea diffusa

Dustymaidens: Chaenactis douglasii

Bearded Hawksbeard: Crepis barbigera - In bud.

* Gray Hawksbeard: Crepis intermedia

* Low Hawksbeard: Crepis modocensis

Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa

* Yellow Desert Daisy: Erigeron linearis

* Cushion Fleabane: Erigeron poliospermus

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri - In bud.

Prickly Lettuce: Lactuca serriola

Pineappleweed: Matricaria discoidea

* Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans

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

* Northern Mule's Ears: Wyethia amplexicaulis


Paul Slichter