[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge: 2009]

Wildflowers Currently in Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge

Upper Swale Canyon (Accessed from Harms Road)

A Native Plant Society of Oregon and Klickitat Trail Conservancy Hike

March 22, 2009

Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum

Columbia Desert Parsley (Lomatium columbianum) as seen in Upper Swale Canyon......March 22, 2009.

Today the weather was in the mid 40s with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skys and fairly gusty winds.

* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza

Imbricate Sword Fern: Polystichum imbricans

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegeneria spicata

Voodoo Grass: Ventenata dubia -

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa - Small trees planted along the old railroad bed.

White Alder: Alnus rhombifolia

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Arroyo Willow: Salix lasiolepis

Willow #2: Salix sp.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Beginning to bloom.

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Scabland Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum spaerocephalum var. tublineare

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Obscure Buttercup: Ranunculus trisectus

Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Numerous.

Leiberg's Stonecrop: Sedum leibergii

Currant-leaf Alumroot: Heuchera grossulariifolia var. tenuifolia

Prairie Star: Lithophragma sp.

Clayton's Saxifrage, Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa - In bud.

Currant: Ribes (divaricatum or niveum)

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii

Douglas' Hawthorn: Crataegus douglasii

Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor

Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa

Rose: Rosa sp.

Prairie Lupine: Lupinus lepidus var. aridus

Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Burr Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum

* Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi or Lomatium gormanii ?

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Yellow-flowered form. In bloom near the trailhead.

Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum

Creek Dogwood: Cornus sericea (var. ?)

Ballhead Desert Parsley: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

Phacelia: Phacelia sp.

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii

Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

Blue Elderberry: Sambucus cerulea

Teasel: Dipsacus sylvestris

Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha

Hoary False Yarrow: Chaenactis douglasii var. douglasii

Chicory: Cichorum intybus

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fairly numerous on upper south-facing slopes.

Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosum var. speciosa

Gumweed: Grindelia (columbiana?)


Animals Seen During This Hike:

Frogs croaking

Canyon Wren

House Sparrows

Dark-eyed Juncos

American Robins

Spotted Towhees

Western Meadowlarks

Common Mergansers

Northern Flickers

Magpies


The Columbia Hills as seen from the Harms Road trailhead in Upper Swale Canyon......March 22, 2009.

A view to the north-facing slopes of the Columbia Hills from the Harms Road trailhead in Upper Swale Canyon. Snow-rimmed Stacker Butte is seen at right. Photographed March 22, 2009.

Upper Swale Canyon....March 22, 2009 - Upper Swale Canyon......March 22, 2009.

Two views of upper Swale Canyon as seen on March 22, 2009.

Paul Slichter