[Columbia River Gorge Wildflower Reports: 2002]

Currently Blooming Wildflowers in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve (Stacker Butte)

May 18, 2002

This photo shows the view east along Stacker Butte with Haystack Butte in the far distance........May 18, 2002.

This photo shows the view east along Stacker Butte with Haystack Butte in the far distance........May 18, 2002.

* Bicolored Harvest Lily: Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii

* Western Solomon Plume: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule

* Heart-leaf Buckwheat (both the yellow and white forms): Eriogonum compositum var. compositum A few in bloom at lower elevations

* Scabland Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare - A few in full bloom.

* Lance-leaf Spring Beauty: Claytonia lanceolata

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata

* Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva

* Pale Montia: Montia exigua (M. spathulata)

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis - A few in bloom.

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* . Sickle-pod Rock Cress: Boechera atrorubens

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii

NPSO field trip participants searching for wildflowers amongst prairie grasses atop Stacker Butte.

NPSO field trip participants searching for wildflowers amongst prairie grasses atop Stacker Butte.

Douglas' Draba: Cusickiella douglasii - Past bloom.

Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera -Pods only.

* Dagger Pod: Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides - Full bloom atop Stacker Butte.

Fringe Pod: Thysanocarpus curvipes - Not in bloom, but lots of ripe seed pods.

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera (Now included in Lithophragma glabrum)

* Small-flowerd Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia

* Hood River Milk-vetch: Astragalus hoodianus - At bloom at lower elevations near SR 14.

Woolly Pod Milk-vetch: Astragalus purshii - Woolly pods only.

* Yakima Milk-vetch: Astragalus reventiformis - Some with hairy pods.

* Columbia Gorge Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius Beginning bloom.

* Spurred Lupine: Lupinus laxiflorus

* Whitish Lupine: Lupinus sulphureus var. bingenensis

* Big-head Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum (bloomed out below, beginning bloom near the summit)

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

View south towards the parking area from the road up Stacker Butte.

View south towards the parking area from the road up Stacker Butte.

* Yellow Prairie Violet: Viola nuttallii var. (bakeri ?)

* Fern-leaved Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum (var. ?)

* Gray-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium macrocarpum White flowered form.

* Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - A few in bloom near the summit.

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

* Watson's Desert parsley: Lomatium watsonii - Mostly out of bloom.

Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. nitida - Beginning bloom at lower elevations.

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens- A few nearing the end of bloom at the summit.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis - A few in bloom.

* Hood's Phlox: Phlox hoodii- Numerous bloom.

* Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa- A few in bloom.

* Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* Woods Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora

* Varied-leaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla

* Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa

* Weak-stem Cryptantha: Cryptantha flaccida

* Common Cryptantha: Cryptantha intermedia

* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale

* Small-flowered Forget-me-not: Myosotis stricta

Balsamroot and lupines near the top of Stacker Butte...........May 18, 2002.

Balsamroot and lupines near the top of Stacker Butte.......May 18, 2002.

* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. acuta

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Fairly abundant

Columbia Kittentails: Veronica missurica ssp. stellata - In fruit only.

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum

* Annual Bedstraw: Galium aparine

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - Nearing bloom at mid-slope.

* Heart-leaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

* Carey's hybrid Balsamroot: Balsamhoriza careyana x deltoidea

* Western Hawksbeard: Crepis occidentalis (Only in bloom at the intersection of the Dalles Mt. Rd and the Dalles Mt. Ranch Rd---To the west of the ranch buildings.)

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - In bloom only at the summit.

* Yellow Desert Daisy: Erigeron linearis - Beginning bloom.

* Woolly Sunflower: Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium - Beginning bloom.

* False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides

* Yellow Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltus

A Native Plant Society of Oregon Field Trip.

Animals Seen in the Columbia Hills/ Stacker Butte:

1. Golden Eagle

2. Kestrel

3. Horned Larks

4. Meadow Lark

5. Lazuli Bunting

6. Lark Sparrow

7. Spotted Towhee

8. Rock Wren

9. Common Flicker

10. Lewis' Woodpecker

11. Shorthorn Lizard


Paul Slichter