[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge: 2013]

Wildflowers Currently in Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve

March 19 & 20, 2013

View from the Columbia Hills Natural Area Preserve: February 4, 2009

The photo above shows woollypod milkvetch (Astragalus purshii) as seen in bloom.

Tuesday the weather was overcast with light winds to 10 mph. On Wednesday the wind picked up to sustained winds of 30 mph and gusts to 45 mph with numerous bouts of horizontal sleet with occasional sun breaks. Temps were in the mid 30s to low 40s, depending on what the sky was doing!

* indicates the plant is currently in bloom.

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Leaves only.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Scabland Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare

* Western Spring Beauty: Claytonia lanceolata - Beginning to bloom.

Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva - Basal leaves present.

Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - In bud.

* Obscure Buttercup, The Dalles Mt. Buttercup: Ranunculus triternatus

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Very numerous.

* Smooth Prairie Stars: Lithophragma glabrum

* Woollypod Milkvetch: Astragalus purshii

Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus latifolius X sericeus (Synonym: Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus) - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Velvet Lupine: Lupinus leucophyllus x sericeus (Synonym: Lupinus Leucophyllus var. ? in Washington, Lupinus sericeus in Russ Jolley's book on Gorge wildflowers.) - Dried remains of last years plants seen. This blooms in both spring and fall.

Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

* Canby's Desert Parsley: Lomatium canbyi

* Gorman's Salt and Pepper: Lomatium gormanii

* Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum

* Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi - Beginning to fade out of bloom.

* Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum - Beginning to bloom.

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis - A few small plants were seen in bloom.

* Hood's Phlox: Phlox hoodii - A few plants were observed beginning to bloom.

* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. acuta - Purplish stems arising from the ground.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea x careyana - Beginning to bloom along the road near the parking area near the state park/ natural area preserved boundary.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fairly numerous.

False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides - In bud.


Paul Slichter