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

Wildflowers Blooming on Benches Above the Balfour Klickitat Trailhead

March 16, 2013

Variegated flower form of Douglas' grass widow (Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii) as seen near Balfour Klickitat in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area at Lyle, WA.........March 16, 2013.

Variegated flower form of Douglas' grass widow (Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii) as seen near Balfour Klickitat in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area at Lyle, WA.........March 16, 2013.

* indicates the plant is currently in bloom.

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

* Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum - Beginning to bloom at the base of south-facing slopes here!

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana

Awned Hairycap Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Scouring-rush Horsetail: Equisetum hyemale

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrhiza

Tall Oatgrass: Arrhenatherum elatius ?

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Bristly Dog's-tail Grass: Cynosurus echinatus

Prairie Junegrass: Koehleria macrantha

Basin Wildrye: Leymus cinereus

* Leiberg's Blue Grass: Poa leibergii ?

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicatum

Medusa-head: Taeniatherum caput-medusae

Sagebrush Mariposa Lily: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus

Ookow: Dichelostemma congestum

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica

Hyacinth Cluster Lily: Triteleia (hyacinthina ?)

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

Curly Dock: Rumex (crispus ?)

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

* Cushion Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra (ssp. ?)

Lineleaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Common Chickweed: Stellaria media

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Saxifraga integrifolia var. claytoniifolia

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Saxifraga integrifolia var. integrifolia

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Beginning to leaf out.

Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia

Field Parsley Piert: Aphanes arvensis (Alchemilla occidentalis) ?

Hawthorn: Crataegus sp.

Himalayan Blackberry: Rubus armeniacus

Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus (latifolius x sericeus) ?

Smallflowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus ?

Rabbitsfoot Clover: Trifolium arvense

Vetch: Vicia sp.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Dove'sfoot Geranium: Geranium molle

Turkey-mullein: Eremocarpus setigera

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

Burr Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis ?

Queen Anne's Lace: Daucus carota

* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow flowers) - Beginning to bloom.

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi

Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

Gairdner's Yampah: Perideridia montana - Basal leaves.

Columbian Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. columbiana

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

Prickly Navarretia: Navarretia (intertexta ?)

Varileaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla

* Tarweed Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa ?

Common Houndstongue: Cynoglossum officinale

Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys (hispidulus or scouleri ?) - Small wetlands plant with linear leaves.

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

Attenuate Paintbrush: Castilleja attenuata

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii

English Plantain: Plantago lanceolata

Annual Bedstraw: Galium aparine var. echinospermum ?

* Wild Cucumber: Marah oreganus - Beginning to bloom.

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus (var. ?) - Beginning to leaf out.

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Northwestern Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea (or hybrid with B. careyana) - Beginning to bloom.

Yellow Star-thistle: Centaurea solstitialis

Bull Thistle: Cirsium vulgare

Columbia Goldenweed: Ericameria resinosa

Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum

Columbia Goldenweed: Ericameria resinosa

Hairy False Goldenaster: Heterotheca villosa (var. ?)

Yellow Salsify: Tragopogon dubius


Animals Seen During This Hike:

Scrub Jays

Northern Flicker

Dark-eyed Juncos

Song Sparrow


Paul Slichter