[2006 Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge]

Columbia River Gorge

Wildflower bloom Along the Horsetail and Oneonta Trails

April 28, 2005

 


* indicates the wildflower is blooming.

Horsetail, Oneonta and Triple Falls Trails

Wildflower bloom is currently about 2 weeks behind the pace of last year (2005).

These are popular trails on weekends, with lots of hikers and some canine friends. One can also had an extra 2 miles to this trip by hiking to Triple Falls higher up Oneonta Gorge. At this time, the leaves of many plants may be seen, which is good ID practice and anticipation of what will come later! Much of the Oregon side of the Gorge is still in shade at midday at this time of year.


*1. Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum -

2. Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum - Seen on cliffs, but a long way from blooming yet.

*3. Miner's-lettuce: Claytonia (Montia) perfoliata - Fairly numerous at the parking lot.

4. Little-leaf Montia: Montia parvifolia - A few with buds forming

*5. Chickweed: Stellaria media - Common, especially along the road.

*6. Rockslide Larkspur: Delphinium glareosum ?........I didn't stop to check.

*7. Slender Toothwort: Cardamine pulcherrima var. tenella - Scattered, decreasing bloom.

*8. Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Going to seed.

*9. Honesty: Lunaria annua - Some plants in bloom along the old highway near Oneonta Gorge.

10. Oregon Bolandra: Bolandra oregana - A few with flower buds on the cliffs.

11. Small-flowered Alumroot: Heuchera micrantha - Not yet in bloom.

*12. Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum - A few in bloom.

*13. Merten's Saxifrage: Saxifraga mertensiana - Fairly common on moist cliffs, especially higher up.

*14. Western Saxifrage: Saxifraga occidentalis - In bloom around Oneonta Gorge and on moist cliffs at higher elevations.

*15. Fringe Cup: Tellima grandiflora - Good bloom.

16. Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor - Not in bloom yet.

*17. Martindale's Desert Parsley: Lomatium martindalei - A number of plants seen on sunnier cliffside.

*18. Sitka Mist Maidens: Romanzoffia sitchensis - Lots of plants in bloom on moist cliffs at all elevations.

*19. Red-dead-nettle: Lamium purpureum - A few in bloom next to the road at the mouth of the Oneonta Gorge.

*20. Cliff Paintbrush: Castilleja rupicola - A few in bloom high on the cliffs.

*21. Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora - Good bloom in sunny spots on the clif

*22. Chickweed monkey Flower: Mimulus alsinoides -

*23. Rosy Plectritis: Plectritis congesta - A few in bloom.

*24. Spring Gold: Crocidium multicaule - A few in bloom at lower elevations, many in bloom higher on the cliffs.

*25. Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale - A few in bloom, especially near impacted areas next to the road.


Animals Seen at the Mouth of Oneonta Gorge:

1. Numerous Violet-green Swallows


Paul Slichter