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

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

along the Old Heaquarters Road to the locked gate, the upper half of Soda Springs Road, and the South Klickitat Breaks

Klickitat State Wildlife Recreation Area

February 26, 2015

Unidentified buttercup from the Klickitat Wildlife Area........March 21, 2014.

A view of a mystery buttercup seen in the Klickitat Wildlife Recreation Area. A few plants are similar in appearance to obscure buttercup (Ranunculus tridentatus), but most seem to be intermediate in form between the latter species and the sagebrush buttercup (Ranunculus glaberrimus).

Today the weather was in the upper 40s to low 50s with partly to mostly sunny skies and 5-10 mph breeze. No rain in the past 2 weeks as far as I can tell.

* indicates the plant is currently in bloom.

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Basal leaves only.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica

Panicled Death Camas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Beginning to bloom.

Heartleaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

* Jagged Chickweed: Holosteum umbellatum

Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii - In bud.

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - Numerous.

* Scalepod: Idahoa scapigera

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum

Hood River Milkvetch: Astragalus hoodianus - Numerous mounds of leaves emerging from the ground.

Common Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius

* Sagebrush Violet: Viola trinervata - Beginning to bloom.

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Beginning to bloom.

* Klickitat (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense - Beginning to bloom.

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi

Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Leaves are up.

Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum ? - Beginning to bloom.

Suksdorf's Desert Parsley: Lomatium suksdorfii - Leaves emerging from the ground.

Ballhead Desert Parsley: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - Basal leaves.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha

Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana - A few plants in bud.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fairly numerous on upper south-facing slopes.

False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides - Basal leaves.

Animals Seen During This Hike:

Mule Deer herds

California Ground Squirrels - Heard.

Red-tailed Hawks

Ravens

American Robins

Dark-eyed Juncos

White-breasted Nuthatches

Tree Frogs

Paul Slichter