[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington: 2013]

Wildflowers Blooming Along the Cherry Orchard Trail

Accessed from the Trailhead East of the Lyle Tunnels from State Road #14

March 26, 2013

A views along the Columbia River from high along the Cherry Orchard Trail..........March 7, 2011.

A view west along the Columbia River from high along the Cherry Orchard Trail..............March 7, 2011.

* indicates the plant is currently in bloom.

Plant list for the Cherry Orchard Trail

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

* Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Awned Hairycap Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Gold-back Fern: Pentagramma triangularis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrhiza

Imbricate Sword Fern: Polystichum imbricans

Cliff Fern: Woodsia (oregana or scopulina)

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri - Beginning to bloom.

Tall Oatgrass: Arrhenatherum elatius ?

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Bristly Dog's-tail Grass: Cynosurus echinatus

* Bulbous Blue Grass: Poa bulbosa

* Nevada Blue Grass, Rush Blue Grass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicatum

Medusa-head: Taeniatherum caput-medusae

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Leaves only.

Sagebrush Mariposa Lily: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus - Numerous on open slopes of the first large bench. Only the basal leaves are present.

Ookow: Dichelostemma congestum

* Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Fading out of bloom above 800'.

* Panicle Deathcamas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum - Numerous on open slopes of the first large bench. beginning to bloom.

Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora ssp. howellii - In bud.

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Fading out of bloom. Most numerous along the top of the ridge.

Rein Orchid: Platanthera sp. - Basal leaves. Could be one of 4-5 species found in the Gorge.

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Scabland Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

* Streambank Springbeauty: Claytonia parviflora ?

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

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

* Lineleaf Montia: Montia linearis

Sticky Chickweed: Cerastium (glomeratum ?)

* Jagged Chickweed: Holosteum umbellatum

* Common Chickweed: Stellaria media

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* White Meconella: Meconella oregana

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Oak Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii - Fairly common under the oaks along the upper ridge.

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

Thick-leaved Thelypody: Thelypodium laciniatum var. laciniatum - In bud.

* Fringepods: Thysanocarpus curvipes

Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium -In bud.

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera (now lumped in with Lithophragma glabrum)

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

Brittle-leaved Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa - In bud.

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes integrifolia

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Beginning to leaf out.

Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia - Beginning to leaf out.

Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor - Beginning to leaf out.

Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Beginning to leaf out.

* Woollly Pod Milkvetch: Astragalus purshianus

Few-flowered Pea: Lathyrus pauciflorus

Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius x sericeus (Lupinus latifolius var. latifolus) - Many plants with flower buds. Probably in bloom by late this next weekend.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Dove'sfoot Geranium: Geranium molle

Deer Brush: Ceanothus integerrimus

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum - Bright red leaves visible at nodes nearest the ground.

Burr Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis ?

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Fading out of bloom.

* Fernleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum (var. dissectum ?)

* Klickitat (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense

Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

Western Snake Root: Sanicula crassicaulis

Columbian Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. nitida

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Ballheaded Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

Varileaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla

* Tarweed Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa

* Intermediate Cryptanth: Cryptantha intermedia

Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale - In bud.

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Chickweed Monkeyflower: Erythranthe alsinoides

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii

* Small-flowered Tonella: Tonella tenella

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum

English Plantain: Plantago lanceolata

Annual Bedstraw: Galium aparine

* Wild Cucumber: Marah oreganus

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus - Beginning to leaf out.

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha

* Northwestern Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana x deltoidea (or B. careyana)

Yellow Star-thistle: Centaurea solstitialis

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fading out of bloom except atop the ridge.

Columbia Goldenweed: Ericameria resinosa

Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum

Blanketflower: Gaillardia aristata

Hairy False Goldenaster: Heterotheca villosa (var. ?)

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri

False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides

Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - In bud.

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Seen During These Hikes:

California Gray Squirrel

Bald Eagle - Immature

Red-tailed Hawks

Common Raven

Scrub Jays

Northern Flicker

Dark-eyed Juncos

Lesser Goldfinches feeding on yellow star-thistle seed.


Paul Slichter