[2004 Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge]

Columbia River Gorge

Wildflower bloom at Three Bench Loop (Access to Lower Bench at East End of Doug's Beach)

March 14, 2004

Ballhead Waterleaf : Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* indicates the wildflower is blooming.

*1. Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

2. Panicled Death Camas: Zigadenus paniculatus - Close to blooming.

*3. Grass Widow: Sisyrinchium douglasii var. douglasii - Sparse bloom, mostly bloomed out.

*4. Little Western Bitter Cress: Cardamine oligosperma - A few in bloom.

*5. Fringepod: Thysanocarpus curvipes - Numerous in bloom and some in fruit.

*6. Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabra - Moderate bloom

*7. Northwestern Saxifrage: Saxifraga integrifolia var. integrifolia -

*8. Filaree: Erodium cicutarium - A few in bloom.

*9. Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Peaking soon.

*10. Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi - Good bloom.

*11. Slender-fruit Desert Parsley: Lomatium leptocarpum - A few beginning bloom.

*12. Salt & Pepper or Piper's Desert Parsley: Lomatium piperi -Past peak.

*13. Nine-leaf Desert Parsely: Lomatium triternatum - A few beginning bloom.

*14. Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum - Decent bloom next to the creek on the 2nd bench to the east of Doug's Beach. Some will look like D. cusickii but have denticulate leaves like D. poeticum.

*15. Midget Phlox: Phlox (Microsteris) gracilis - Fairly common.

*16. Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - A few still in bloom (Look under brush at the base of the lower cliffs.).

*17. Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata - Fairly common on the trail to the 2nd bench.

*18. Rigid Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa - A few small plants in bloom amongst the lower cliff.

*19. Rusty Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys nothofulvus - A few beginning to bloom.

*20. Annual Bedstraw: Galium aparine - A few in bloom.

*21. Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - A few in bloom.

*22. Chickweed Monkey Flower: Mimulus alsinoides - Several in bloom.

*23. Big Root, Wild Cucumber: Marah oreganus - Many small plants in bloom.

*24. Northwest Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea - Good bloom at lower elevations.


Paul Slichter