[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington: 2015]

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

February 13, 2015

Sevenmile Hill from Sevenmile Road (USFS Right of Way)

Summit ridge of Sevenmile Hill looking across the burned area towards The Dalles, OR.......February 13, 2015.

A view across the southeast-facing slopes of Sevenmile Hill, Columbia River Gorge with The Dalles, OR in the distance.........February 13, 2015. The grasslands and oak forest here were burned by last summer's wildfire.

* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

From Sevenmile Road, this route climbs along a narrow strip of USFS lands to the ridgeline of Sevenmile Hill. Know your route before going to avoid trespassing on neighboring private lands. Pull completely off Sevenmile Road as vehicles travel fairly fast down this road. Watch for rattlesnakes along the route up the hill from spring through fall.

Weather: Fog and low clouds until 1 pm, then thin, high overcast. with decent sunshine. Temperatures to the mid-50s. . Winds light, but strong enough to require an extra layer of clothing during lunch or during an easy ramble along the summit ridge.

Cowpie Lichen: Diploschistes muscorum ?

Antlered Perfume: Evernia prunastri

Navel Lichen: Umbilicaria phaea

Haircap Juniper Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

Medusahead: Taenitherum caput-medusae - Last year's heads.

Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa - Only at the ridgetop.

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii - Only at the ridgetop.

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum

Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus - Basal leaves.

Ball-headed Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum - Leaves emerging from the ground.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Beginning to bloom near the upper parking lot.

Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii - Numerous basal leaves.

Hyacinth Cluster Lily: Triteleia hyacinthina - Basal leaves.

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. depressa

Chickweed: Stellaria media

Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Beginning to bloom along the road to the parking area.

* Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera - Beginning to bloom.

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum - Beginning to bloom.

Fleshy-leaved Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

Hood River Milk-vetch: Astragalus hoodianus - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Columbia Gorge Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius (Lupinus latifolius x sericeus) - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Big-head Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum

Burr Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Beginning to bloom on the lowest slopes.

* Largeseed Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow-flowered form) - Beginning to bloom on the lowest slopes.

Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Leaves emerging from the ground.

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi - Plants with a stem leaf. Blooming at all elevations but most numerous lower on the ridge.

Nine Leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium tridentatum var. triternatum - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Yampah: Perideridia gairdneri (Perideridia montana) - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. nitida - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata - Numerous basal leaf rosettes.

Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata

Fiddleneck: Amsinckia menzesii (var. retrorsa form) - Leaves emerging from the ground.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Beginning to bloom at lower elevations.

Common Monkeyflower: Erythranthe guttata

Corn Speedwell: Veronica arvensis

Common Bedstraw: Galium aparine

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamhoriza careyana (or a hybrid with B. deltoidea ?) - One plant with a bud on lower slopes.

Bachelor's Buttons: Centaurea cyanus - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Diffuse Knapweed: Centaurea diffusa - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Hall's Goldenweed: Columbiadoria hallii

Smooth Hawksbeard: Crepis capillaris - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Western Hawksbeard: Crepis occidentalis ? - Basal rosettes of leaves seen.

Yellow Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltus - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Salsify: Tragopogon dubius - Leaves emerging from the ground.


Animals Seen at This Location:

Elk - Tracks

Mule Deer - Tracks

Red-tailed Hawks

California Quail

Gray Partridge

Common Ravens

Horned Larks

Western Meadowlarks

American Robins

Western Bluebirds


 

F

Paul Slichter