[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington: 2014]

Wildflowers Blooming Along the Cherry Orchard Trail

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

April 2, 2014

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

List is for plants seen from the trailhead on Highway 14 immediately east of the Lyle Tunnels uphill to the the top of the bench overlooking the town of Lyle, but lower than the Lyle sign.

Weather: Sunny with temps in the 50s. Winds 20-30 mph which made standing or using binoculars difficult. We opted to return to the trailhead and head to Catherine Creek where there was more wind protection.

* Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum - Beginning to bloom within the past 2 days

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Gold-back Fern: Pentagramma triangularis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrhiza

Imbricate Sword Fern: Polystichum imbricans

Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

Ookow: Dichelostemma congestum

Bicolor Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii - A few plants in bud.

* Panicled Deathcamas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum

Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

* Lineleaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Jagged Chickweed: Holosteum umbellatum

* Common Chickweed: Stellaria media

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum - In bud.

* Fringepods: Thysanocarpus curvipes - Fading out of bloom.

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Brittle-leaved Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius x sericeus (Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius) - Many plants in bud.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Dove'sfoot Geranium: Geranium molle

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum - Leafing out.

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

Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. nitida - In bud.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Ball-headed Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* Tarweed Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa

* Common Cryptanth: Cryptantha intermedia

* Great Hounds Tongue: Adelinia grandis

* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale - Beginning to bloom.

* Slender Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

Narrowleaf Paintbrush: Castilleja attenutata

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii

* Small-flowered Tonella: Tonella tenella

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum

* Annual Bedstraw: Galium aparine

* Wild Cucumber: Marah oreganus

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus - Leafing out.

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - In bud.

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana - It may be a hybrid (B. careyana x deltoidea), but is more similar in appearance to this species.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fading out of bloom.

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Seen During This Hike:

Western Fence Lizard

Red-tailed Hawks

Cooper's Hawk

Turkey Vultures

Common Ravens

Scrub Jays


Paul Slichter