Comprehensive Catherine Creek Plant List
Weather: Sunny with temperatures up to the mid-50s, although chilly in the shade due to a light to medium wind (up to 15 mph). This was a loop hike to add species to the comprehensive plant list which generally ascended the slopes to the east of the arch before heading east across the lower slopes of Tracy Hill to the west rim of Major Creek, before descending back to Minor Creek and Old Highway 8.
Podfern: Aspidotis densa - New foliage emerging.
Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza
Imbricate Fern: Polystichum imbricans
Oregon Cliff Fern: Woodsia (oregana ssp. oregana ?)
Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa - I noticed that many 30-40' trees fell over this past winter due to soggy soils coupled by strong winds?
Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa - Beginning to leaf out.
Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana - Leaf buds haven't swelled much yet.
* Common Woodrush: Luzula multiflora (L. campestris v. congesta)
* Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii ?
* Bulbous Blue Grass: Poa bulbosa
Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Basal leaves.
Ball-head Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum - Basal leaves only.
* Common Camas: Camassia quamash (var. breviflora ?) - In bloom but 7-10 days from full bloom.
* Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis
* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Fading out of bloom at all elevations
Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii - In bud.
* Meadow Death-camas: Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum
* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Mostly out of bloom.
Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella - In bud.
* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. intermontana
* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata
Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva - Numerous plants with flower buds.
* Water Chickweed: Montia fontana var. tenerrima
* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis
* Jagged Chickweed: Holosteum umbellatum - Fading out of bloom.
* Chickweed: Stellaria media
* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Not many plants in bloom yet.
* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis - Some nice patches in spots.
* Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium
* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii
* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma - Fading out of bloom except in shaded places.
* Spring Whitlow Grass: Draba verna - Fading out of bloom.
* Shepherd's Cress: Teesdalia nudicaulis
* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera (now Lithophragma glabrum) - Fading out of bloom.
* Smooth Praire Star: Lithophragma glabrum - Fading out of bloom.
* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum - Becoming more numerous.
* Peak Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa
* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes integrifolia
* Rusty-hair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula - Fading out of bloom except in higher locations or those that are partly shady.
Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Leafing out.
* Western Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var.semiintegrifolia ? ) - Beginning to bloom.
Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor - Leafing out.
Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Leafing out.
* Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus - Becoming more numerous.
* Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius x sericeus (Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius) - A few plants with racemes visible. Definitely late this year.
* Sand Clover: Trifolium oliganthum (formerly Trifolium variegatum) - A few plants beginning to bloom.
* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium
Dovefoot Geranium: Geranium molle
Poison Oak: Toxicoscordion diversilobum
* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Starting to fade out of bloom except at higher locations or in shaded areas.
* Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense
* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow-flowered form)
* Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule
* Butterfly-loving Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum
* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum
* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens - Fading out of bloom.
* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum - Still a week from peak bloom. Definitely some nice swaths of them in places.
* Baby Stars: Leptosiphon bicolor - Beginning to bloom.
* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis - Fading out of bloom.
* Rigid Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa
* Common Cryptanth: Cryptantha intermedia - Beginning to bloom.
* Rusty Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys nothofulvus
* Scouler's Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys scouleri var. penicillatus
* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus
* Attenuate Paintbrush: Castilleja attenuata - Beginning to bloom.
* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora
* Few-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia sparsiflora
* Chickweed Monkey Flower: Erythranthe alsinoides
* Common Monkey Flower: Erythranthe guttata
Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - New leaves are appearing.
* Dwarf Owl-clover: Triphysaria pusilla - Beginning to bloom.
* Small-flowered Tonella: Tonella tenella
* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum
* Bedstraw, Cleavers: Galium aparine - A few plants beginning to bloom.
* Big Root: Marah oreganus - Beginning to bloom.
* Long-spurred Plectritis: Plectritis ciliosa - Beginning to bloom.
* Rosy Plectritis: Plectritis congesta - Still 1-2 weeks from its peak.
* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera -
* Northwest Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana x deltoidea - A few plants with flower buds at lower elevations.
* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fading out of bloom.
Hairy False Goldenaster: Heterotheca villosa
* Smooth Cat's-ear: Hypocharis glabra
* False Agoseris, Prairie Dandylion: Nothocalais troximoides
* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale
Turkey Vultures
Western Meadowlarks
American Robins
Western Bluebirds
Violet-green Swallows