[2005 Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge]

Columbia River Gorge

Wildflower bloom at Three Bench Loop

February 26, 2005

Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica
* indicates the wildflower is blooming.
Three Bench Loop (slopes above east end of Doug's Beach Parking Lot, WA SR 14 MP 79)

*1. Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Probably at peak bloom on the lower bench now.

*2. Grass Widow: Sisyrinchium douglasii var. douglasii - Moderate bloom, probably peeking in 7-10 days at the lower elevations.

*3. Unidentified member of the pink family on shoulder of road (See photo below.).

*4. Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna var. boerhaavii - Numerous bloom.

*5. Fringepod: Thysanocarpus curvipes - A few in bloom.

*6. Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabra - Several beginning to bloom.

*7. Filaree: Erodium cicutarium - Numerous bloom along the old rail bed.

*8. Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi - A few plants in bloom with pungent leaves just peeking out of the ground.

*9. Salt & Pepper or Piper's Desert Parsley: Lomatium piperi -Numerous bloom.

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

11. Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - Numerous leaves amongst rocks and under poison oak below the cliffs.

*12. Common Groundsel: Senecio vulgaris - One in bloom along the highway across from the Doug's Beach Parking Lot.

Animals Seen: Common Crow, Spotted Towhees, White-crowned Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, California Ground Squirrels.

Can anyone help identify this? It was photographed in gravel along WA state road 14. It was also fairly common along the road to Stacker Butte above the Dalles Mt. Ranch.
Paul Slichter