[Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge: 2014]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Catherine Creek

April 8, 2014

A carpet of white-flowered rusty popcornflower (Plagiobothrys nothofulvus) on the upper, west-facing slopes of Tracy Hill in the upper drainage of Catherine Creek.........April 8, 2014.

A carpet of white-flowered rusty popcornflower (Plagiobothrys nothofulvus) on the upper, west-facing slopes of Tracy Hill in the upper drainage of Catherine Creek.........April 8, 2014.

Comprehensive Catherine Creek Plant List

Weather: Sunny with winds to 10 mph, increasing to 20 mph by late afternoon. Temps in the 60s. Much nicer than forecast!

Route: Trail up past arch, trail up east the side of Catherine Creek to west Tracy Hill, trail across to east Tracy Hill, then down the west rim of Major Creek and back via the trail at the top of the arch....5.4 miles.


* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Wolf Lichen: Letharia vulpina - On fence boards below the arch.

Antlered Perfume: Evernia prunastri - On many oak trees.

Glossy Red Bryum Moss: Bryum miniatum - On rocks in the creeks or at seeps.

Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum

Polytrichum Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Elongate Racomitrium Moss: Racomitrium elongatum ?

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Nuttall's Quillwort: Isoetes nuttallii

Podfern: Aspidotis densa - New foliage emerging.

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza

* Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana - Some trees beginning to leaf out.

Long-anthered Woodrush: Luzula macrantha

* Silver Hairgrass: Aira caryophyllea

* Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

* Annual Bluegrass: Poa annua

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii

* Nevada Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Basal leaves abundant on rock outcrops with shallow soils.

Green-banded Mariposa Lily: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus - Basal leaves only. Becoming more common on eastern Tracy Hill.

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

* Common Camas: Camassia quamash (var. breviflora ?)- Beginning to bloom. Many plants with well-formed flower buds.

*Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - Fading out of bloom under the oaks along Catherine Creek.

* Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis - Beginning to bloom.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Only one plant seen in full bud.

Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii - Several plants in bud.

Panicled Death-camas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum - Beginning to bloom high on Tracy Hill.

* Meadow Death-camas: Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum - Beginning to bloom.

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Fading out of bloom.

Striped Coralroot: Corallhorhiza (striata ?) - Plants in bud.

Rein-orchid: Platanthera sp.

Common Bastard Toad Flax: Comandra umbellata var. californica - In bud under the oaks beneath the arch.

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. intermontana

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata - Beginning to bloom.

Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva - A few plants with flower buds.

* Dwarf Montia: Montia dichotoma

* Water Chickweed: Montia fontana var. tenerrima

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Sticky Chickweed: Cerastium glomeratum

* Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

* Chickweed: Stellaria media

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* White Water Buttercup: Ranunculus aquatilis (var. ?)

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

* Dutchman Breeches: Dicentra cucullaria - A few plants seen under the oaks.

* Mouse-ear Cress: Arabidopsis thaliana

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii - Fading out of bloom.

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma - Fading out of bloom except in shaded places.

* Spring Whitlow Grass: Draba verna

* Shepherd's Cress: Teesdalia nudicaulis

* Fringe Pods: Thysanocarpus curvipes

* Smooth Praire Star: Lithophragma glabrum - Primarily seen on Tracy Hill.

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes integrifolia

* Rusty-hair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Beginning to leaf out.

* Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. ?) - Beginning to bloom.

Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor - Leafing out.

Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata - Leafing out.

Annual Burnet: Poteridium annuum

Deer-vetch or Leafy Pea: Lathyrus or Lotus sp. - Leaflets ovate with rounded tips. - High up on east Tracy Hill near Mt. Adams viewpoint.

Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus - In bud.

* Bicolored Lupine: Lupinus bicolor - Beginning to bloom under the powerlines east of Catherine Creek.

* Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus - Beginning to bloom.

Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius x sericeus (Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius) - Some plants with budding racemes visible near Catherine Creek. Blooming along the old highway adjacent to Rowland Lake.

* Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - Beginning to bloom along the road below the crossing of Catherine Creek.

* Sand Clover: Trifolium oliganthum (formerly Trifolium variegatum) - A few plants beginning to bloom in the area burned last summer.

* Cutleaf Violet: Viola sheltonii - Beginning to bloom. under the oaks along the east side of Catherine Creek.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

* Dovefoot Geranium: Geranium molle

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum - A few plants with signs they are about to leaf out.

Diamond Clarkia: Clarkia rhombifolia - Leaves present.

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum- Past peak bloom.

* Chocolate Tips: Lomatium dissectum var. dissectum - Beginning to bloom.

* Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow-flowered form)

* Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Butterfly-loving Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum

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

Suksdorf's Desert Parsley: Lomatium suksdorfii - Nearly in bloom.

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

Common Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

Western Snakeroot: Sanicula crassicaulis

* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens - A few left in bloom.

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum - Still a week or two from peak bloom.

* Baby Stars: Leptosiphon bicolor - Beginning to bloom.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

* Rigid Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa

* Common Cryptanth: Cryptantha intermedia - Beginning to bloom.

* Great Houndstongue: Adelinia grandis

* Gromwell: Buglossoides arvensis - Blooming downstream from the arch.

* Rusty Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys nothofulvus

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

* Henbit: Lamium amplexicaule

* Red Dead Nettle: Lamium purpureum

Attenuate Paintbrush: Castilleja attenuata - In bud.

* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida - Blooming along the trail at the western rim to Catherine Creek.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Few-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia sparsiflora - Excellent bloom especially in the area of last year's fire.

* Chickweed Monkey Flower: Erythranthe alsinoides

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

Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Plants looking very nice on the cliffs west of Catherine Creek.

* Tonella: Tonella tenella

* Corn Speedwell: Veronica arvensis

* Slender Plantain: Plantago elongata

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum

* Bedstraw, Cleavers: Galium aparine

* Big Root: Marah oreganus - Beginning to bloom.

* Long-spurred Plectritis: Plectritis ciliosa

* Rosy Plectritis: Plectritis congesta - Beginning to bloom.

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - In bud.

* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla

Spearleaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana (or Balsamorhiza careyana x deltoidea) - In bloom where there's deeper soil.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

* False Agoseris, Prairie Dandylion: Nothocalais troximoides

Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - In bud.

* Common Groundsel: Senecio vulgaris

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Seen Along This Route Today:

Immature Bald Eagle

Ospreys fishing over Rowland Lake.

Red-tailed Hawks

Kestrels

Turkey Vultures

Northern Flickers

Lewis' Woodpeckers

Downy Woodpeckers

Stellers Jays

Scrub Jays

Western Meadowlarks

Spotted Towhees

American Robins

Townsend's Solitaires

Western Bluebirds

Dark-eyed Juncos

Black-capped Chickadees

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Violet-green Swallows

Baby Alligator Lizard

Western Fence Lizards - Males are flashing their blue bellies.

Tree Frog Tadpoles

Bumble Bees

Duskywing

Western Pine Elfins

Sara's Orangetips

Orange Sulfur

Wood Nymph

Blue

Lady Bugs

Water Striders


Paul Slichter