[Columbia River Gorge Wildflower Bloom Reports: 2004]

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

Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve (to Stacker Butte)

May 9, 2004

Wildflowers atop the Columbia Hills....My 9, 2004. - a view east across the Columbia Hills towards Haystack Butte in the distance from Stacker Butte............May 9, 2004.

Balsamroots and harsh paintbrush bloomin in the prairie across the summit of the Columbia Hills....May 9, 2004. - Balsamroot and lupines and scabland wild buckwheats viewed west along the top of Stacker Butte...........May 9, 2004.

Several images showing views along Stacker Butte across broad meadows of bunchgrass, lupine, balsamroot and paintbrush......May 9, 2004.
* Indicates a wildflower currently in bloom.

* Taper-tipped Onion: Allium accuminatum - A few in bloom at lower elevations, many with well-formed buds.

* Bicolored Harvest Lily: Triteleia var. howellii - In bloom but going out of bloom at lower elevations.

Pale-anthered Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - Pods are developing.

Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Pods well-developed.

* False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule - In bloom only amongst the shrubs on the upper slopes of the north side of the summit.

* Heart-leaf Buckwheat (both the yellow and white forms): Eriogonum compositum var. compositum - Both white- and yellow-flowered forms.

* Scabland Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare - A few with bright reddish flower buds.

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata

* Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva -

Pale Montia: Montia exigua (M. spathulata) - Mostly past bloom.

* Franklin's Sandwort: Arenaria franklinii var. franklinii -

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Sickle-pod Rock Cress: Boechera atrorubens - Both in bloom and with well-developed fruits.

Douglas' Draba: Cusickiella douglasii

Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera -Pods only.

Dagger Pod: Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides

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

 

The photo above shows a view east across the Columbia Hills towards Haystack Butte in the distance from Stacker Butte............May 9, 2004.
Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens ?

* Lance-leaved Stonecrop: Sedum lanceolatum - Flower buds forming.

* Small-flowerd Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Hawthorn: Crataegus sp. -

* Yakima Milk-vetch: Astragalus reventiformis - In fruit at lower elevations, in bloom atop the ridge.

* Columbia Gorge Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius (formerly var. thompsonianus) - Beginning bloom.

* Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus

* Whitish Lupine: Lupinus sulphureus var. bingenensis

* Big-head Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - (bloomed out below, a few still in bloom near the summit)

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

 

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

* Gray-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium macrocarpum - White flowered form, a few still in bloom.

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

Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum

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

Watson's Desert Parsley: Lomatium watsonii - Only in seed.

* Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. nitida - In bloom below.

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

* Hood's Phlox: Phlox hoodii- Moderate bloom above.

* Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa- Moderate bloom.

* Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - A few in bloom only in the oak forest on the north side of the Columbia Hills.

Woods Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora - Nearing bloom in the oak woods.

* Varied-leaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla

* Linear-leaf Phacelia: Phacelia linearis

* Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa

* Common Cryptantha: Cryptantha intermedia

* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale

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

 

Balsamroot and lupines and scabland wild buckwheats viewed west along the top of Stacker Butte...........May 9, 2004.

* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. acuta

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Fairly abundant in the oak forest.

* Glandular Penstemon: Penstemon glandulosa (var. ?) - Only in bloom along the north edge of the summit.

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum - In bloom only at the summit.

* Annual Bedstraw: Galium aparine

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

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

* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla

* Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha

* Stolonous Everlasting: Antennaria flagellaris - In bloom only at the summit.

* Hybrid Balsamroot: Balsamhoriza careyana x deltoidea

* Hoary False Yarrow: Chaenactis douglasii var. douglasii - One with opening blossoms near the summit, several in bloom along the Dalles Mt. Road.

* Western Hawksbeard: Crepis occidentalis

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - a few in bloom only at the summit.

* Woolly Sunflower: Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium - One in bloom near the summit.

* False Agoseris: Microseris troximoides - A few still in bloom at the summit.

* Yellow Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltus

Animals Seen in the Columbia Hills/ Stacker Butte:

1. Ravens

2. Western Bluebirds

3. Horned Larks

4. Meadow Lark

5. American Robin

6. Spotted Towhee

7. Swifts

8. Western Fence Lizard

Paul Slichter