[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge: 2011]
Wildflowers Currently in Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge

Washington State Highway SR 14

BLM Parcel at T3N R20E S20 NW1/4

April 20, 2011

Fiddleneck-covered slopes at T3N R20E S20.........April 20, 2011.

A view southwest towards the Columbia River of slopes densely covered with fiddlenecks (Amsinckia lycopsoides and Amsinckia tessellata) from hillsides in an area of south-central Klickitat County known as The Burn.................April 20, 2011.
* indicates the wildflower is currently blooming.

This parcel can only be accessed by crossing private property, so permission needs to be obtained by the land owners. It should be pointed out that most of the plants listed on this page can be seen by driving along both Washington Highway 14 as well as in the public right of way along the secondary roads in this area.

Netleaf Hackberry: Celtis reticulata

Poison Ivy: Toxicodendron rydbergii

* Crested Wheatgrass: Agropyron cristatum

Intermediate Wheatgrass: Thinopyrum intermedium ?

* Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

Basin Wildrye: Leymus cinereus

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii

* Sandberg Bluegrass: Poa secunda

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

Medusa-head: Taenitherum caput-medusae - Dried stalks from last year present.

Rat-tail Fescue: Vulpia sp.

Bastard Toadflax: Comandra californica (var. pallida ?) ???

Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus

Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Pods forming, numerous.

* Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora ssp. howellii

* Northern Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum (var. compositum ?)

Parsnipflower Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides var. heracleoides - Several plants in bud.

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum (var. proliferum ?)

Wiry Knotweed: Polygonum majus - Last year's stems.

* Pallid Claytonia: Claytonia exigua (ssp. glauca ?)

* Cushion Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. depressa

Lineleaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Jagged Chickweed: Holosteum umbellatum

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum

Hornseed: Ranunculus testiculatus - Spiny fruits forming.

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

* Pale Wallflower: Erysimum occidentale

* Tumble Mustard: Sisymbrium altissimum

* Thick-leaf Thelypody: Thelypodium laciniatum var. laciniatum - Just beginning to bloom.

* Fringepods: Thysanocarpus curvipes

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Woollypod Milkvetch: Astragalus purshii (var. glareosus ?) - Woolly pods present too.

Lupine: Lupinus sp.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

* Burr Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis

Gorman's Desert Parsley: Lomatium gormanii ? - Past bloom.

* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum (var. triternatum ?)

* False Hedge-parsley: Yabea microcarpa

Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens - Past bloom.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Longleaf Phlox: Phlox longifolia - large swaths of pink covering much of the more naturalized ground.

Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata - In bud.

* Tarweed Fiddleneck: Amsinckia lycopsoides

* Rigid Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa

* Bristly Fiddleneck: Amsinckia tessellata

* Weakstem Cryptanth: Cryptantha flaccida - Small flowers, very thin linear leaves that spread from stem at right angles.

* Slender Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

Sand Penstemon: Penstemon acuminatus var. acuminatus - In bud.

Suksdorf's Broomrape: Orobanche ludoviciana - Last year's dried stems.

* Naked Broomrape: Orobanche uniflora

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - In bud.

* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla

* Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha

Dragon Wormwood: Artemisia dracunculus

Big Sagebrush: Artemisia tridentata (ssp. tridentata ?)

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana

* Hybrid Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana x serrata ?

* Serrate Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza serrata

Spotted Knapweed: Centaurea (maculosa?)

Green Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus

Wavyleaf Thistle: Cirsium undulatum

Horseweed: Conyza canadensis - Dried stalks from last year.

Hawksbeard: Crepis sp.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Beginning to fade out of bloom.

Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa var. speciosa

Match Brush: Gutierrezia sarothrae

Hairy Goldaster: Heterotheca villosa

Tarweed: Madia sp.

* Narrowleaf Goldenweed: Nestotus stenophyllus - Beginning to bloom.

* False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides

Salsify: Tragopogon dubius

Animals Seen at this Site:

Turkey Vultures

Long-billed Curlews

Chukar

White-crowned Sparrows

Horned Larks

Canyon Wren

A view west towards the Columbia River from an escarpment in an area known as The Burn at T3N R20E S20............April 20, 2011. - Scabland flats atop a butte at The Burn in south-central Klickitat County, WA...........April 20, 2011.

Two views of The Burn near Sundale in the south-central portion of Klickitat County, WA...............April 20, 2011. The photo at left shows a view southwest from the escarpment towards the Columbia River. The photo at right shows a view of the scabland prairie (currently grazed, at least lightly) looking south (from several hundred meters north of the previous location) towards the wind towers on the south side of the Columbia River................April 20, 2011.
Paul Slichter