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

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Klickitat Canyon

old Champion Lumber Company Haul Road (from Wahkiacus to near Beeks Canyon)

Department of Natural Resources, Klickitat Wildlife Area and Columbia Land Trust lands

April 18, 2013

View north from the old Champion Lumber Company Road, Klickitat Gorge........April 18, 2013.

View north from the old Champion Lumber Company Road, Klickitat River Gorge........April 18, 2013.

* indicates the plant is currently in bloom.

Comprehensive Plant List for the Champion Lumber Company Haul Road.

Antlered Perfume: Evernia prunastri ?

Wolfbane Lichen: Letharia vulpina

Map Lichen: Rhizocarpon sp.

Glossy Red Bryum Moss: Bryum miniatum

Homalothecium Moss: Homalothecium sp.

Haircap Juniper Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Imbricate Swordfern: Polystichum imbricans

Western Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens

Western Red Cedar: Thuja plicata

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

* Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

White Alder: Alnus rhombifolia

* Cascade Oregon Grape: Berberis nervosa

California Filbert: Corylus cornuta var. californica

* Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa ssp. balsamifera

* Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana

* Willow: Salix sp.

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum

Pacific Rush: Juncus effusus (var. ?)

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

Prairie Junegrass: Koehleria macrantha

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii ?

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

Stinging Nettles: Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Plants in bud.

Onion: Allium sp. (Nevius' Onion: Allium nevii ?) - In bud.

Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus

Common Camas - Camassia (quamash ssp. breviflora ?)

Ookow: Dichelostemma congestum

* Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - Fading out of bloom except in shadier places.

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

Hyacinth Cluster Lily: Triteleia hyacinthina

* Panicled Death Camas: Zigadenous paniculatus

Rein Orchid: Piperia sp.

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

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

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. intermontana

* Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. rubra

Water Chickweed: Montia fontana

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Little-leaf Montia: Montia parvifolia - Fading out of bloom.

Sticky Chickweed: Cerastium glomeratum

* Jagged Chickweed: Holosteum umbellatum

* Largeleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

Bouncing Bet: Saponaria officinalis

* Common Chickweed: Stellaria media

* Shining Chickweed: Stellaria nitens

Meadow Larkspur: Delphinium distichum

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Oak Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii var. nuttallii - Fading out of bloom.

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera - Pods forming.

* Fringepods: Thysanocarpus curvipes - Fading out of bloom.

Wormleaf Stonecrop: Sedum stenopetalum

Thinleaved Alumroot: Heuchera grossulariifolia var. tenuifolia

* Bulblet Prairie Stars: Lithophragma bulbifera

* Small-flowered Prairie Stars: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Saxifraga integrifolia var. claytoniifolia

* Merten's Saxifrage: Saxifraga mertensiana - Beginning to bloom.

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii

* Cusick's Serviceberry: Amelanchier cusickii

Douglas' Hawthorn: Crataegus douglasii (var. douglasii) - In bud.

Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor

Ninebark: Physocarpus capitatus

Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa

Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus

* Few-flowered Pea: Lathyrus pauciflorus - Beginning to bloom.

Nevada Deer-vetch: Lotus nevadensis

Bog Deer-vetch: Lotus pinnatus

Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus

* Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus - Beginning to bloom.

Velvet Lupine: Lupinus leucophyllus - Creamy-flowered form.

Creek Dogwood: Cornus sericea

* Cutleaf Violet: Viola sheltonii - Beginning to bloom.

Common St. John's Wort: Hypericum perforatum

White-stemmed Blazing Star: Mentzelia albicaulis ?

Deerbrush: Ceanothus integerrimus

Buckbrush: Ceanothus sanguineus

Diamond Clarkia: Clarkia rhomboidea

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

* Fernleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum var. dissectum

* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayii

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Yellow-flowered form.

* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Suksdorf's Desert Parsley: Lomatium suksdorfii

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

* Common Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens - Beginning to bloom.

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens

Bluefields Gilia: Gilia capitata

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis - Primarily blooming around vernal pools.

* Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa

* Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

* Common Cryptanth: Cryptantha intermedia

Common Houndstongue: Cynoglossum officinale

* Yellow and Blue Scorpionweed: Myosotis discolor - Beginning to bloom.

* Little Combseed: Pectocarya pusilla

* Slender Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

* Rattan's Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia rattanii

* Common Monkeyflower: Mimulus guttatus

Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii v. richardsonii

* Small-flowered Tonella: Tonella tenella

Corn Speedwell: Veronica arvensis

* Naked Broomrape: Orobanche uniflora (both varieties occidentalis and purpurea)

* Cleavers: Galium aparine var. echinospermum

* Bigroot: Marah oreganus

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis

* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla

Spearleaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa

Woodrush Pussytoes: Antennaria luzuloides ? - In bud.

* Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia - Beginning to bloom.

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

Canada Thistle: Cirsium arvense

Bull Thistle: Cirsium vulgare

* Spring Gold: Crocidium multicaule - Mostly out of bloom.

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

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri (v. ?)

* False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides - Beginning to bloom.

* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - Beginning to bloom.

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Seen Along this Route:

California Ground Squirrels

Douglas Squirrel - heard

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Peregrine Falcon

Turkey Vultures

Ravens

Crows

Steller's Jays

Scrub Jays

Common Mergansers

Mourning Doves

Northern Flickers - heard

Spotted Towhee - heard ????

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing (dead)

Kingfisher

American Dipper - heard

Dark-eyed Juncos

Western Goldfinches

Pine Siskins

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Violet-green Swallows - numerous

Northern Rough-winged Swallows ?

Gopher Snake

Western Fence Lizards

Bullfrogs - heard

Anise Swallowtails

Indra Swallowtails

Mourning Cloaks

Sara's Orangetips

Propertius Duskywings - Other duskywings may have been present too.

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

Large Bumblebees

Numerous native bees

Box Elder Bugs


Paul Slichter