[Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge: 2015]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Memaloose Trail (State Park and USFS Properties south of Eastbound I84 Rest Area)

March 27, 2015

Castilleja Hill at the southwest corner of the Memaloos Trail, Columbia River Gorge..........March 27, 2015.

Castilleja Hill at the southwest corner of the Memaloose Trail, Columbia River Gorge..........March 27, 2015.

* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Comprehensive Plant List for the Memaloose Area

Antlered Perfume: Evernia prunastri

Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum

Polytrichum Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Elongate Racomitrium Moss: Racomitrium (elongatum ?)

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza

Imbricate Sword Fern: Polystichum imbricans ssp. imbricans

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

* Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana - Beginning to leaf out atop Castilleja Hill.

* Scouler's Willow: Salix scouleriana ? - Honey bees using catkins for pollen gathering.

* Long-anthered Woodrush: Luzula macrantha

Bristly Dog's-tail Grass: Cynosurus echinatus

* Leiberg's Blue Grass: Poa leibergii

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata - Common away from the cultivated fields areas that were heavily grazed.

Medusahead Wildrye: Taeniatherum caput-medusae

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

Ookow, Ball-head Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum

* Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - Past peak bloom.

Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis - In bud.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Fading out of bloom.

Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora ssp. howellii - Buds forming.

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

* Fairy Slipper: Calypso bulbosa

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

* Western Spring Beauty: Claytonia lanceolata - North slope of Castilleja (Chatfield) Hill.

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. intermontana

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

* Red Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. rubra

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Jagged Chickweed: Holosteum umbellatum

* Chickweed: Stellaria media

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

Plantain-leaved Buttercup: Ranunculus alismifolius var. alismifolius - In bud.

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

* American Wintercress: Barbarea orthoceras

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

* Fringe Pod: Thysanocarpus curvipes

Leiberg's Stonecrop: Sedum leibergii - In bud.

Broad-leaf Stonecrop: Sedum spathulatum

* Dutchman Breeches: Dicentra cucullaria

* Fairy Poppy: Meconella oregana

Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera (now included as part of Lithophragma glabrum) - Past bloom.

* Smooth Praire Star: Lithophragma glabrum

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Peak Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes integrifolia

* Nesting Saxifrage: Micranthes nidifica

* Rustyhair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Beginning to leaf out.

* Cusick's Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. cusickii ?) - Beginning to bloom.

Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor - Beginning to leaf out.

* Common Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius X sericeus (formerly Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus)

* Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum

Vetch: Vicia sp.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum - Beginning to leaf out.

Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Fading out of bloom.

Fern-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum var. dissectum

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow-flowered form)

* Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

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

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

Common Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

Yampah: Perideridia gairdneri (Perideridia montana)

Western Snakeroot: Sanicula crassicaulis

* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens

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

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata - In bud.

* Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale - Beginning to bloom.

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

* Henbit: Lamium amplexicaule

* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. hispida

* Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

Dwarf Owl-clover: Triphysaria pusilla

Bedstraw: Galium aparine

* Big Root: Marah oreganus

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus - Beginning to leaf out.

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana X deltoidea

Bachelor's Button: Centaurea cyanus

Columbia Goldenweed: Columbiadora hallii

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Woolly Sunflower: Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri (former var. cynoglossoides ?)

* False Agoseris, Prairie Dandelion: Nothocalais troximoides

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

* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Seen Along This Route Today:

Turkey Vultures

Red-tailed Hawks

Northern Flicker

Stellers Jays

Spotted Towhees

Dark-eyed Juncos

Western Tree Frog

Sara's Orangetip

Hoover Flies


Wildflower bloom atop Castilleja Hill, Memaloose Trail..........March 27, 2015. - Wildflower bloom atop Castilleja Hill, Memaloose Trail..........March 27, 2015.

Wildflower bloom atop Castilleja Hill, Memaloose Trail..........March 27, 2015.

Paul Slichter