[Columbia River Gorge Wildflower Bloom Reports Prior to 2002] - [Wildflower Destinations in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Catherine Creek

April 6, 2002

Dutchman's Breeches: Dicentra cucullaria

Dutchman's Breeches: Dicentra cucullaria

* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

* Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum- Most trees now in bloom.

* Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii - Several in bloom.

* Common Camas: Camassia quamash- Beginning to bloom below the Old Highway.

* Pale-anthered Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - A few in bloom.

* Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis - A few in bloom.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica- A few still in bloom, especially higher up the hillsides.

* Meadow Death-camas: Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum- Common.

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii -A few still in bloom.

* Common Bastard Toad-flax: Comandra umbellata var. californica- A few in bloom.

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata- Common.

Bitter Root: Lewisia rediviva- A few with flower buds visible.

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis- Common.

* Chickweed: Stellaria media- Numerous

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum- A few trying to bloom along the creek.

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis - A few in bloom.

* Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium- Fairly numerous.

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma- Fairly common.

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii - Beginning to bloom.

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna- A few in bloom.

* Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum - A few in bloom along the western approaches to Catherine Creek.

* Dutchman's Breeches: Dicentra cucullaria- One in bloom.

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum (formerly L. bulbifera) - A few in bloom.

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum - A few in bloom.

* Brittle-leaved Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa - Fading out of bloom.

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes integrifolia - Fading out of bloom.

* Rusty-hair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula - Still fairly numerous.

* Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia- A few in bloom.

* Bicolored Lupine: Lupinus bicolor- Dense bloom towards Major Creek along the Old Highway.

* Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius (formerly var. thompsonianus) - A few in bloom at low elevation along the Old Highway at the west and east ends of the Catherine Creek plateau.

* Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus- Numerous.

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - A few nearly in bloom.

Sand Clover: Trifolium wildenovii - A few nearing bloom.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium- A few in bloom.

* Cut-leaf Violet: Viola sheltonii- Fairly common.

* Chervil: Anthriscus scandicina- A few in bloom.

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum -A few plants in bloom .

* Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow flowered form)- Fairly common.

* Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Fairly common.

* Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum - Very common.

* Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum - A few in bloom.

* Sierra Snake Root: Sanicula graveolens- A few in bloom.

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens- A few in bloom

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum- Common.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis- Common.

* Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii- A few almost in bloom.

* Woods Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora- A few in bloom.

* Silver-leaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata - A few coming into bloom.

* Rigid Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa- A few in bloom.

* Weak-stem Cryptantha: Cryptantha flaccida ? - Numerous

* Great Hound's Tongue: Adelinia grandis - Several in bloom.

* Rusty Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys nothofulvus- Numerous bloom above the power lines, towards the slopes above Major Creek.

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus- Numerous.

* Henbit: Lamium amplexicaule- A few in bloom.

* Red Dead-nettle: Lamium purpureum- A few in bloom.

* Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora- Common.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora- Common

* Few-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia sparsiflora var. bruceae - Fairly common.

* Chickweed Monkey Flower: Erythranthe alsinoides- Numerous in seeps.

* Common Monkey Flower: Erythranthe guttata- A few in bloom.

* Small-flowered Tonella: Tonella tenella- Fairly common under the oaks.

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum - Very numerous.

* Bedstraw/ Cleavers: Galium aparine- Numerous, but only in bloom near the Old Highway.

* Long-spurred Plectritis: Plectritis ciliosa- A few in bloom.

* Rosy Plectritis: Plectritis congesta- Numerous.

* Bigroot: Marah oreganus- A few in bloom.

* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla- Fairly numerous.

* Northwest Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana x deltoidea- A few in bloom near the arch.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule -A few still in bloom.

* False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides- A few in bloom.

Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. ochroleucus - A few nearing bloom.

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale- Fairly common in disturbed areas.


Animals Seen at Catherine Creek:

1. Western Meadowlark (1)

2. Stellers Jay (Numerous)

3. Scrub Jay (Numerous)

5. Turkey Vulture (2)

5. Dark-eyed Junco- (3)

6. Northern Flicker- (1)

7. Osprey-(1)

8. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Very Numerous)

9. American Robins (2)

10 Starlings (Numerous)

11. Red-breasted Nuthatch (1)

12. White-breasted Nuthatch (1)

13. Violet-green Swallow (4)

14. California Ground Squirrel (2)

15. Western Fence Lizard (Several)

16. Bumble Bees

17. Hoover Flies (pollinating Midget Phlox)

18. White butterfly with orange wing-tips.

19. Small dark butterfly.


Paul Slichter