[Wildflower bloom in the Columbia River Gorge: 2012]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Klickitat Canyon

old Champion Lumber Company Haul Road (from near Leidl Park south to where the road is completely washed out)

Klickitat Wildlife Area and Columbia Land Trust lands

May 20, 2012

Mountain Lady Slippers: Cypripedium montanum

Mountain Lady Slippers: Cypripedium montanum

* indicates the plant is currently in bloom.

Comprehensive Plant List for the Champion Lumber Company Haul Road.

Wolfbane Lichen: Letharia vulpina

Haircap Juniper Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum

Field Horsetail: Equisetum arvense

Scouring-rush Horsetail: Equisetum hyemale

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Imbricate Swordfern: Polystichum imbricans

Western Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Vine Maple: Acer circinatum

Douglas Maple: Acer glabrum var. douglasii

Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

White Alder: Alnus rhombifolia

* Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

California Filbert: Corylus cornuta var. californica

* Pacific Dogwood: Cornus nuttallii

* Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa ssp. balsamifera

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana

* Willow: Salix sp.

Scouler's Willow: Salix scouleriana

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum

Pacific Rush: Juncus effusus (var. ?)

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

* Lemmon's Needlegrass: Achnatherum (lemmonii ?)

* Soft Brome: Bromus hordeaceus

* Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii - Past bloom.

* Nevada Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia

* Sandberg's Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. secunda

* Poa wheeleri ? gracillima, etc. - Tall (up to meter high) native bluegrass found under the oaks.

* Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

* Stinging Nettles: Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis

* Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Plants beginning to bloom, flowers cream to very faint pink.

Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus

Common Camas - Camassia quamash ssp. breviflora - Fading out of bloom.

Pale-anthered Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - Pods forming.

Columbia Tiger Lily: Lilium columbianum

* Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora ssp. howellii

Hyacinth Cluster Lily: Triteleia hyacinthina - In bud.

Panicle Death Camas: Zigadenus paniculatus - Past bloom.

* Meadow Death Camas: Zigadenus venenosus

* Spotted Coralroot: Corallorhiza maculata

* Striped Coralroot: Corallorhiza striata

* Mountain Lady Slippers: Cypripedium montanum

Rattlesnake Plantain: Goodyera oblongifolia - Basal leaves only.

Rein Orchid: Piperia sp. - Basal leaves only.

* Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

* Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

Curly Dock: Rumex crispus

Willow Dock: Rumex salicifolius

Jerusalem Oak: Chenopodium botrys

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. intermontana

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis - Only blooming in wet ditches. Past bloom elsewhere.

Largeleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla - In bud.

Bouncing Bet: Saponaria officinalis

* Common Chickweed: Stellaria media - Fading out of bloom.

Western Clematis: Clematis ligusticifolia

Meadow Larkspur: Delphinium distichum - In bud.

* Nuttall's Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallii ? - Sorry, I forgot to go back and check the identity of this. Growing near Dead Canyon Creek.

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis

* American Wintercress: Barbarea orthoceras

Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Past bloom.

* Tumble Mustard: Sisymbrium altissimum

* Thinleaved Alumroot: Heuchera grossulariifolia var. tenuifolia

* Small-flowered Prairie Stars: Lithophragma parviflorum

Northwestern Saxifrage: Saxifraga integrifolia var. claytoniifolia - Past bloom.

* Merten's Saxifrage: Saxifraga mertensiana - Fading out of bloom.

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Flower buds forming.

Cusick's Serviceberry: Amelanchier cusickii - Fruits forming.

* Douglas' Hawthorn: Crataegus douglasii (var. douglasii) - Fading out of bloom.

* Woods Strawberry: Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata

Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor

Domestic Apple: Malus x domestica

* Oregon Crabapple: Malus fusca

Ninebark: Physocarpus capitatus - In bud.

Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa (var. glandulosa ?)

Sulphur Cinquefoil: Potentilla recta - In bud.

* Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa

* Baldhip Rose: Rosa gymnocarpa - Beginning to bloom.

Rose: Rosa sp.

*Blackcap Raspberry: Rubus leucodermis

* Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus

* Trailing Pacific Blackberry: Rubus ursinus

Birch-leaf Spiraea: Spiraea betulifolia

Hardhack: Spiraea douglasii

* Few-flowered Pea: Lathyrus pauciflorus

* Big Deervetch: Lotus crassifolius

Nevada Deer-vetch: Lotus nevadensis

Spanish-clover: Lotus unifoliolatus

* Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus - Observed atop the road cut where it was difficult to climb to confirm its identity.

* Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus , or Wyeth Lupine: Lupinus wyethii ?

* Cup Clover: Trifolium cyathiferum

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum- Past bloom.

* White Clover: Trifolium repens

* American Vetch: Vicia americanum

* Creek Dogwood: Cornus sericea

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium - Fading out of bloom.

Oregon Checkermallow: Sidalcea oregana

Common St. John's Wort: Hypericum perforatum

* White-stemmed Blazing Star: Mentzelia albicaulis ?

* Deerbrush: Ceanothus integerrimus - Beginning to bloom.

*Buckbrush: Ceanothus sanguineus

* Cascara: Rhamnus purshiana

Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium

Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Fat fruits are forming.

* Fernleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum var. dissectum

* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayii

* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Suksdorf's Desert Parsley: Lomatium suksdorfii

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. anomalum

* Common Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

Kinnickinick: Arctostaphylos nevadensis

* Little Prince's Pine: Chimaphila menziesii

* Pinedrops: Pterospora andromedea

* Nightblooming False Bindweed: Calystegia atriplicifolia ssp. atriplicifolia - Beginning to bloom.

* Broadleaf Star Flower: Trientalis latifolia

Flytrap Dogbane: Apocynum androsaemifolium

* Bluefields Gilia: Gilia capitata

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis - Mostly past bloom.

* Midget Phlox: Phlox gracilis - Fading out of bloom.

* Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa

Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* Basin Nemophila: Nemophila breviflora

* Woods Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora var. austiniae

Varied-leaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla ssp. virgata - In bud.

* Common Cryptanth: Cryptantha intermedia

* Common Houndstongue: Cynoglossum officinale

Diffuse Stickseed: Hackelia diffusa var. diffusa - In bud.

* Yellow and Blue Scorpionweed: Myosotis discolor

Little Combseed: Pectocarya pusilla - Past bloom.

Small Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys tenellus - Fading out of bloom.

* Narrowleaf Skullcap: Scutellaria angustifolia

Self Heal: Prunella vulgaris

* Attenuate Paintbrush: Castilleja attenuata - Fading out of bloom.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Fading out of bloom.

* Common Monkeyflower: Mimulus guttatus

* Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus - Blooming on the river sand and gravel bars.

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii v. richardsonii

Lanceleaf Figwort: Scrophularia lanceolata

* Small-flowered Tonella: Tonella tenella

Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

*Purslane Speedwell: Veronica peregrina var. xalapensis

* Naked Broomrape: Orobanche uniflora

* Cleavers: Galium aparine var. echinospermum

* Bigroot: Marah oreganus

Blue Elderberry: Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea - In bud.

White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera - Past bloom.

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis - Beginning to bloom.

Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla - Going to seed.

Spearleaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa

* Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana - Either this species or a hybrid between Carey's balsamroot and northwestern balsamroot (Balsamorhiza deltoidea).

* Silvercrown: Cacaliopsis nardosmia

* Dustymaidens: Chaenactis douglasii var. douglasii - Beginning to bloom.

Bull Thistle: Cirsium vulgare

Spring Gold: Crocidium multicaule - Past bloom.

* Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum - Beginning to bloom.

* Meadow Hawkweed: Hieracium caespitosum

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri var. scouleri

Prickly Lettuce: Lactuca serriola

* Little Tarweed: Madia exigua

* Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale

* Yellow Salsify: Tragopogon dubius - Beginning to bloom.


Animals Seen Along this Route:

Mule Deer or a Black Tail, or hybrid

California Ground Squirrels

Bald Eagle and one immature eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Ravens

Crows

Turkey

Spotted Sandpiper ? ????????

Northern Flicker - heard

Western Wood Peewee - heard.

Spotted Towhee

American Robin ?????????

Black-headed Grosbeaks - numerous. Very vocal.

Western Tanagers -fairly numerous. Likewise, very vocal.

Violet-green Swallows - numerous

Vaux's Swifts - numerous

Lazuli Buntings - numerous. A consant stream of song.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Black-capped Chickadees

Racer

Bullfrogs - heard

Tree Frogs - heard and seen on the river bar along the Klickitat River

Pale Tiger Swallowtails

Great Artics

Mourning Cloaks

Caliornia Tortoiseshell

Propertius Duskywings - Other duskywings may have been present too.

Ochre Ringlets - common.

Mylitta Crescents - One chased off an intruding dragonfly several times larger than itself that had blundered into its territory.

Sara's Orangetip

Boisduval's Blues ?

Woolly Bear Caterpillars - Long white hairs on their back for that 'punk' look.

Large Bumblebees

Hoover Flies

Black Cricket

Mosquitoes - Numerous in the forest.


Paul Slichter