[Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge: 2013]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Catherine Creek

A Native Plant Society of Oregon Field Trip (on March 17th)

March 12 & 17, 2013

A view east up the Columbia River towards the Columbia Hills and Sevenmile Hill from atop Tracy Hill at Catherine Creek......March 12, 2013.

A view east up the Columbia River towards the Columbia Hills and Sevenmile Hill from atop Tracy Hill at Catherine Creek......March 12, 2013.

* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom. --- (8) indicates # in Jolley's "Wildflowers of the Columbia River Gorge"

Comprehensive Catherine Creek Plant List

Puff Balls:

Wolf Lichen: Letharia vulpina

Cartilage Lichen: Ramalina subleptocarpha ?

Glossy Red Bryum Moss: Bryum miniatum

Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum

Polytrichum Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Elongate Racomitrium Moss: Racomitrium elongatum ?

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Podfern: Aspidotis densa

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Goldback Fern: Pentagramma triangularis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza

Imbricate Fern: Polystichum imbricans

Sword Fern: Polystichum munitum

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

* Caifornia Hazelnut: Corylus cornuta ssp. californica

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

* Willow: Salix sp. - Most appear to be male plants, blooming before the leaves.

* Long-anthered Woodrush: Luzula macrantha

* Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Basal leaves. (8)

Ball-head Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum - Basal leaves only. (13)

Common Camas: Camassia quamash (var. breviflora ?) - Basal leaves present, some plants with flower buds. (20)

* Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - Beginning to bloom. (24)

Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis - Flower buds forming. (27)

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Blooming well! (28)

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Near peak bloom on Tuesday, fading out of bloom on Sunday. (47)

Rein-orchid: Platanthera sp. (60 or 63)

Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata - In bud. (104)

Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva - Basal leaves only. (97)

* Dwarf Montia: Montia dichotoma ?

* Water Chickweed: Montia fontana var. tenerrima

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis (102)

* Chickweed: Stellaria media

Shiny Starwort: Stellaria nitens

Meadow Larkspur: Delphinium distichum - Basal leaves. (133)

Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Mostly in bud. (135)

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis (145)

Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium - In bud. (153)

* White Meconella: Meconella oregana (158)

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii (176)

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma (174)

* Spring Whitlow Grass: Draba verna (180)

* Fringe Pods: Thysanocarpus curvipes (194)

* Smooth Praire Star: Lithophragma glabrum (207)

Brittle-leaved Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa - In bud. (219)

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes integrifolia (219)

* Rusty-hair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula (221)

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii (236)

Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor - Beginning to leaf out. (244)

Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus - Basal leaves only. (300)

Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus - Lots of leaves. (304)

Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius x sericeus (Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius) - Basal leaves only. (299)

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - Basal leaves only. (317)

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium (325)

Cutleaf Violet: Viola sheltonii - Basal leaves only. (349)

Poison Oak: Toxicoscordion diversilobum (329)

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Past their peak bloom. (388)

* Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (393)

Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Basal leaves only. (396)

* Butterfly-loving Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi - Fading out of bloom. (397)

Suksdorf's Desert Parsley: Lomatium suksdorfii - Leaves only. (398)

Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum - Basal leaves. (399)

Gairdner's Yampah: Perideridia montana - Basal leaves. (403)

Western Snakeroot: Sanicula crassicaulis (404)

Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens (405)

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens - Beginning to bloom. (429)

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum - Beginning to bloom. (434)

Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. nitida (443)

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

(459)

Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - A few plants with flower buds. (470)

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata (473)

Great Houndstongue: Adelinia grandis - Leaves emerging but not in bloom. (487)

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus - A few plants in bloom. (498)

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora (525)

* Few-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia sparsiflora - A few plants in bloom. (527)

* Chickweed Monkey Flower: Erythranthe alsinoides

(539)

* Common Monkey Flower: Erythranthe guttata - Beginning to bloom. (542)

Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae (554)

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum (578)

Bedstraw, Cleavers: Galium aparine (580)

* Rosy Plectritis: Plectritis congesta (595)

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium (707)

* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla (609)

Spearleaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa

* Northwest Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea x careyana- A few plants in bloom. (723)

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule (696)

False Agoseris, Prairie Dandylion: Nothocalais troximoides - In bud. (624)

Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - Basal leaves only. (703)


Animals Seen Along This Route Today:

California Ground Squirrels

Bald Eagle (juvenile) which flew 20' above us!

Red-tailed Hawks

Ravens

Northern Flickers

Lewis' Woodpeckers

Stellers Jays

Scrub Jays

Western Meadowlarks

Spotted Towhees

American Robins

Western Bluebirds

Golden-crowned Sparrows

Dark-eyed Juncos

Violet-green Swallows

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Western Fence Lizards

Frogs croaking in both Catherine and Minor Creeks.

Sara's Orange Tip (butterfly)

The Uncle (small, colorful moth) - Numerous

Domestic honey bees

Water Striders


Paul Slichter