[Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge: 2010]

[Wildflower Destinations in the Columbia River Gorge]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge

Crawford Oaks and Eightmile Creek drainage

Columbia Hills 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.

* indicates a wildflower currently in bloom.

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

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

* Bluegrass: Poa sp. ?

Medusahead: Taeniatherum caput-medusae

Tree-of-Heaven: Ailanthus altissima

Oregon White Oak: Quercus 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 (L. glabrum)

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum

* Peak Saxifrage: Saxifraga nidifica ssp. claytoniifolia

Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius x sericeus

Lupine: Lupinus sp.

Alfalfa: Medicago sativa

Turkey Mullein: Eremocarpus setigera

Chervil: Anthriscus scandicina

* Gorman's Salt and Pepper: Lomatium gormanii

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Cream-flowered form.

* Desert Parsley: Lomatium leptocarpum or L. triternatum

Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum v. thompsonii

Basin Nemophila: Nemophila breviflora

Snowberry: Symphoricarpos sp.

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza sp.

Chicory: Cichorum intybus

Hawsbeard: Crepis sp.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa (v. 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