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

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Scabland Benches Around the Rock Quarry Between US 30 and I-84 Between Hood River and Mosier

April 3, 2015

Benches west of the Mosier Railroad Tunnel off I-84........April 3, 2015.

Oaks and poison oak beginning to leaf out on benches around the rock quarry between Interstate 84 and US 30, between Hood River and Mosier, Columbia River Gorge..........April 3, 2015.

* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

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

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

* Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

Deer Brush: Ceanothus integerrimus - Leafing out.

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

* Long-anthered Woodrush: Luzula macrantha

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Bristly Dog's-tail Grass: Cynosurus echinatus

Prairie Junegrass: Koeleria macrantha

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Nevada Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia - Beginning to bloom. Found mostly along the tops of cliff edges.

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicatum - Mostly along the tops of cliff edges.

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

Ookow, Ball-head Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum

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

* Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis

Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Past bloom.

False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule

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

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

Rein Orchid: Platanthera sp.

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Scabland Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare - In bud.

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Chickweed: Stellaria media

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

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

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

* Fringe Pod: Thysanocarpus curvipes

Broad-leaf Stonecrop: Sedum spathulatum

* Fairy Poppy: Meconella oregana

Thin-leaved Alumroot: Heuchera grossulariifolia var. tenuifolia

* Smooth Praire Star: Lithophragma glabrum - Fading out of bloom.

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Peak Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

* Rustyhair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula

Merten's Saxifrage: Saxifraga mertensiana - On north-facing cliffs.

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

Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor - Beginning to leaf out.

* Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus

* Common Vetch: Vicia sativa - Beginning to bloom.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum - Beginning to leaf out.

Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis

* Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum ? - possibility of Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense ?

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow-flowered form)

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon/ Primula poeticum

Western Starflower: Lysimachia latifolia - Numerous under the oaks.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata

* Menzie's Fiddleneck: Amsinckia menziesii var. menziesii

* Great Hound's Tongue: Adelinia grandis

* Blue Scorpion Grass: Myosotis micrantha

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

* Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Few-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia sparsiflora var. bruceae

Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii

* Small-flowered Tonella: Tonella tenella

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum - Quite abundant.

Bedstraw: Galium aparine

Big Root: Marah oreganus

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

Rosy Plectritis: Plectritis congesta - In bud.

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana - A number of young plants, but none old enough to bloom.

Bachelor's Button: Centaurea cyanus

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Columbia Gorge Fleabane: Erigeron oreganus - One plant with flower buds.

Hairy Goldaster: Heterotheca villosa (var. ?)

False Dandylion: Hypochaeris radicata


Animals Seen Along This Route Today:

Black Bear - Fresh poop.

Turkey Vultures

Scrub Jays

Stellers Jays

American Robins

Dark-eyed Juncos

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Violet-green Swallows


Paul Slichter