[Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge: 2010] - [Wildflower Destinations in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Crawford Oaks and Eightmile Creek drainage

Columbia Hills Historical State Park

from State Highway 14 uphill to the Dalles Mt. Ranch

March 14, 2010

View down Eightmile Creek towards SR14 from near the Dalles Mt. Ranch........March 14, 2010.

View down Eightmile Creek towards SR14 from near the Dalles Mt. Ranch.......March 14, 2010. A system of new bike and equestrian paths have been proposed for the area visible in this photo along the visible roads and on some new paths to be created in the future.

Weather: Sunny. Light wind. Temperatures in the low 50s.

Complete Plant List for the Crawford Oaks/Eightmile Creek portion of the Columbia Hills State Park.

* indicates a wildflower currently in bloom.

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

* Bluegrass: Poa sp. ?

Medusahead: Taeniatherum caput-medusae

Tree-of-Heaven: Ailanthus altissima

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

* Willow: Salix sp.

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum?

Wickerstem Buckwheat: Eriogonum vimineum

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera (Now included as part of Lithophragma glabrum)

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum

* Peak Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius (Lupinus latifolius x sericeus)

Lupine: Lupinus sp.

Alfalfa: Medicago sativa

Turkey Mullein: Croton setigerus

Chervil: Anthriscus scandicina

* Gorman's Salt and Pepper: Lomatium gormanii

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Cream-flowered form.

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum v. thompsonii

Basin Nemophila: Nemophila breviflora

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sp.

Chicory: Cichorum intybus

Hawsbeard: Crepis sp.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa var.speciosa

Blanketflower: Gaillardia aristata

Yellow Salsify: Tragopogon dubius


Animals Seen Along This Route:

Ring-necked Pheasent (male)

Northern Flickers

Western Meadowlarks

Spotted Towhee

American Robins

Western Bluebirds

Dark-eyed Juncos


Paul Slichter