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

The Mosier Twin Tunnels Trail (from the West Mark O. Hatfield Trailhead)

March 24, 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.

Northern Maidenhair Fern: Adiantum aleuticum

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis (or Cliff Fern: Woodsia sp. ?)

Goldback Fern: Pentagramma triangularis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza

Imbricate Sword Fern: Polystichum imbricans ssp. imbricans

Common Sword Fern: Polystichum munitum

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii

* Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum - Terminal buds breaking.

Tree of Heaven: Ailanthus altissima

* California Filbert: Corylus cornuta var. californica

Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa - Terminal buds swelling.

* Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana

* Long-anthered Woodrush: Luzula macrantha

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Sandberg's Blue Grass: Poa secunda (var. ?)

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicatum

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum ?

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

Pale-anthered Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - In bud.

Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

Streambank Springbeauty: Claytonia parviflora ssp. parviflora ?

Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata - In bud.

* Chickweed: Stellaria media

Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum

Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium - In bud.

California Poppy: Eschscholzia californica

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna var. boerhaavii

Leiberg's Stonecrop: Sedum leibergii

Broad-leaf Stonecrop: Sedum spathulifolium

Gooseberry-leaved Alumroot: Heuchera grossulariifolia var. tenuifolia

Small-flowered Alumroot: Heuchera micrantha var. micrantha ?

Merten's Saxifrage: Saxifraga mertensiana

* Peak Saxifrage: Saxifraga nidifica var. claytoniifolia

Western Saxifrage: Saxifraga occidentalis var. occidentalis

Rusty-haired Saxifrage: Saxifraga occientalis var. rufidula

Fringecups: Tellima grandiflora

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Beginning to leaf out.

Cusick's Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia var. cusickii - Beginning to leaf out.

Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor

Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata

Himalayan Blackberry: Rubus armeniacus

Blackcap Raspberry: Rubus leucodermis

Common Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversiloba

Deer Brush: Ceanothus integerrimus

Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Beginning to bloom.

* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi

Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum

Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

Common Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

Bigleaf Periwinkle: Vinca major

Narowleaf Milkweed: Asclepias fascicularis

Whitestem Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. columbiana

Woods Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora

Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata

Common Monkey Flower: Mimulus guttatus

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii

Bedstraw: Galium aparine var. echinospermum

Blue Elderberry: Sambucus mexicana

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus - Beginning to leaf out.

Northwestern Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea (or B. careyana?) - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Chicory: Cichorum intybus

Columbia Goldenweed: Columbiadora hallii

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale

Earth Star: Geastrum sp.

Felt Lichen: Peltigera sp.

Wolfsbane Lichen: Letharia vulpina

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperum

Haircap Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Animals Seen Along This Route:

California Ground Squirrels

Red-tailed Hawks

Ring-billed Ducks - At ponds at the old rock quarry.

Mallards - At ponds at the old rock quarry.

Northern Flickers

Stellers Jays

Scrub Jays

Robins

Swallows (Violet-green?) - First two swallows of the year.

Golden-crowned Sparrows

Dark-eyed Juncos

Tree Frogs

Box Elder Bugs

Paul Slichter