[2012 Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Wildflowers in Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

The Mosier Twin Tunnels Trail (between the West and East Mark O. Hatfield Trailheads)

May 27, 2012

View west from the Twin Tunnels trail towards Bingen, WA.  The area in the foreground was burned by a wildfire during the early fall of 2009.

A view west towards Bingen, WA across slopes burned by a wildfire during the early fall of 2009. Taken from the eastern end of the Twin Tunnels trail........April 29, 2010. Many of the ponderosa pines died when the fire swept into their crown, while others may die a slower death, either directly from the fire or due to insect damage resulting from the fire. The fate of the Oregon white oaks in the photo is likewise not clear since they are only beginning to leaf out. Some show no signs of growth while others show only a small amount of leaf growth in the tops of the trees.

* Indicates the wildflower is blooming.

Wolfbane Lichen: Letharia vulpina

Pelt Lichen: Peltigera sp.

Juniper Polytrichum Moss: Polytrichum juniperum

Least Duckweed: Lemna minor - In vernal pools at the old rock quarry.

Common Horsetail: Equisetum arvense

Northern Maidenhair Fern: Adiantum aleuticum

Podfern: Aspidotis densa

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Goldback Fern: Pentagramma triangularis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza

Imbricate Sword Fern: Polystichum imbricans ssp. imbricans

Common Sword Fern: Polystichum munitum

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Vine Maple: Acer circinatum

Douglas Maple: Acer glabrum var. douglasii

Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

Tree of Heaven: Ailanthus altissima

Birch: Betula sp.

* Creek Dogwood: Cornus sericea

California Filbert: Corylus cornuta var. californica

Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Scouler's Willow: Salix scouleriana

Long-anthered Woodrush: Luzula macrantha

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

* Silver Hairgrass: Aira caryophyllea

* Tall Oatgrass: Arrhenatherum elatius

* California Brome: Bromus carinatus var. carinatus ?

* Ripgut: Bromus diandrus

* Soft Brome: Bromus hordeaceus ?

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

* Orchard Grass: Dactylis glomerata

* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

* Idaho Fescue: Festuca idahoensis

* Nevada Bluegrass: Poa secunda var. juncifolia - Fading out of bloom.

* Sandberg's Blue Grass: Poa secunda var. secunda - Fading out of bloom.

* Bluegrass: Poa sp. - A species of moist, vertical cliffs.

* Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

Onion: Allium sp. (not A. accuminatum)

* Ookow, Ball-head Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis - Pods developing.

False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule - Past bloom.

Hooker's Fairy Bells: Prosartes (hookeri ? )

* Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora ssp. howellii

Rein Orchid: Platanthera sp.

* Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

* Scabland Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum - In bud.

* Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata - Fading out of bloom.

Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla - Past bloom.

* Chickweed: Stellaria media

* Western Columbine: Aquilegia formosa

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Fading out of bloom.

* Celery-leaf Buttercup: Ranunuculus sceleratus var. multifidus ? - Around the edges of the pools at the old rock quarry.

Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium - Fruits forming.

* California Poppy: Eschscholzia californica

* Black Mustard: Brassica nigra

* Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum

* Plains Mustard: Schoenocrambe linifolia

* Leiberg's Stonecrop: Sedum leibergii

* Broad-leaf Stonecrop: Sedum spathulifolium

* Gooseberry-leaved Alumroot: Heuchera grossulariifolia var. tenuifolia

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

* Fringecups: Tellima grandiflora - Fading out of bloom.

* Red-flowering Currant: Ribes sanguineum - Fading rapidly out of bloom.

* Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - One plant with double petals beginning to bloom.

Cusick's Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia var. cusickii - Fruits forming.

* Woods Strawberry: Fragaria vesca var. bracteata

Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor - In bud.

Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata

Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Past bloom.

* Baldhip Rose: Rosa gymnocarpa

* Pearhip Rose: Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana

* Dog Rose: Rosa canina ?

Himalayan Blackberry: Rubus armeniacus - In bud.

* Blackcap Raspberry: Rubus leucodermis

* Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus

* Pacific Trailing Blackberry: Rubus ursinus

Spanish Clover: Acmispon americanus ssp. americanus

Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus - Nearing their peak bloom.

* Common Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius (Formerly var. thompsonianus) - Past their peak bloom.

* Prairie Lupine: Lupinus lepidus var. aridus

* Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus

* Black Medic: Medicago lupulina ?

* Rabbit's-foot Clover: Trifolium arvense

Red Clover: Trifolium pratense

* American Vetch: Vicia americana

* Hairy Vetch: Vicia hirsuta

* Common Vetch: Vicia sativa

* Annual Cow Vetch: Vicia villosa

* Dovesfoot Geranium: Geranium molle

* Herb Robert: Geranium robertianum

* Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum

Klamath Weed: Hypericum perforatum

* Deer Brush: Ceanothus integerrimus

* Buck Brush: Ceanothus sanguineus

Fireweed: Chamaenerion angustifolium

* Winecup Clarkia: Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera

* Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis

Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Fat fruits forming.

* Fernleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum var. dissectum

Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum ?

* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. anomalum

Common Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi - Licorice-flavored fruits forming.

* Broadleaf Starflower: Lysimachia latifolia

Narowleaf Milkweed: Asclepias fascicularis

* Woods Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora

* Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata

* Branching Stickseed: Hackelia diffusa var. cottonii

Yerba Buena: Clinopodium douglasii (Satureja douglasii)

* Common Monkey Flower: Erythranthe guttata

* Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii

* Small-flowered Tonella: Tonella tenella

* English Plantain: Plantago lanceolata

* Indian Wheat: Plantago patagonica

* Bedstraw: Galium aparine

Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum

* Orange Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa

* Blue Elderberry: Sambucus mexicana ssp. cerulea

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus

* Rosy Plectritis: Plectritis congesta - Fading out of bloom.

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Large-flowered Agoseris: Agoseris grandiflora - In bud.

Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea

* Northwestern Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea (or B. careyana?) - Fading out of bloom.

Diffuse Knapweed: Centaurea diffusa

Chicory: Cichorum intybus

Canada Thistle: Cirsium arvense

Columbia Goldenweed: Columbiadora hallii

* Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium

* Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum

White-flowered Hawkweed: Hieracium albiflorum

Common Hawkweed: Hieracium lachenalii (H. vulgatum) - In bud.

* False Dandylion: Hypochaeris radicata

* Rabbit Leaf: Lagophylla ramosissima

* Little Tarweed: Madia exigua

* Common Tarweed: Madia gracilis

Wall Lettuce: Mycelis muralis

* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. ochroleucus

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale

* Yellow Salsify: Tragopogon dubius


Animals Seen Along This Route:

California Ground Squirrels

Douglas Squirrel

Turkey Vultures

Osprey

Red-tailed Hawks

Raven

Scrub Jays

Spotted Towhee

Black-headed Grosbeaks

Western Tanager

Robins

Western Wood Peewee

Lazuli Bunting

Black-capped Chickadee

Violet-green Swallows

Swallows

Box Elder Bugs


Paul Slichter