[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington: 2016]

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

Hamilton Mountain and Lower Hardy Creek Trails, Beacon Rock State Park

March 30, 2016

A view northeast from the summit of Hamilton Mountain towards Table Mountain and Mount Adams (on the horizon)...............April 23, 2011.

A view northeast from the summit of Hamilton Mountain towards Table Mountain and Mount Adams (on the horizon).........April 23, 2011.

Weather: Light, cool breeze on Hamilton Ridge. Temperatures in the 50s in the morning to near 70 in the afternoon.

Tomlike and Chinidere Mountains in Oregon and Grassy Knoll in Washington were visible. All three were only partially covered with snow. Mt. Adams and the top of Mt. Hood were both visible and snow-covered in the distance. This hike was done as a loop by following the most difficult trail up on the south side of Hamilton Mt. to the summit and then following the ridgeline north to the fire road. We then descended to the west along the road before cutting off onto Joe's Cutoff Trail before picking up the Hardy Creek Trail and following it back to the Hamilton Mt. Trail.


* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Mosses, Clubmosses and Spikemosses

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Ferns and Fern Allies

Field Horsetail: Equisetum arvense

Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum ssp. pubescens

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Sword Fern: Polystichum munitum

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza

Trees and Shrubs

Grand Fir: Abies grandis

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Western Hemlock: Tsuga heterophylla

Vine Maple: Acer circinatum

Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum - Flower buds ready to break.

* Red Alder: Alnus rubra

* Hazelnut: Corylus cornuta var. californica - Leaf buds breaking.

Creek Dogwood: Cornus sericea (var. ?)

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Forbs

* Small-flowered Woodrush: Luzula parviflora

Nodding Onion: Allium cernuum

Columbia Lily: Lilium columbianum

False Lily-of-the-valley: Maianthemum dilatatum

False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule

Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum stellatum

Meadow Deathcamas: Toxicoscordion venenosum

* Western Wake-robin: Trillium ovatum

* Fairy Slipper: Calypso bulbosa

Rattlesnake-plantain: Goodyera oblongifolia

Wild Ginger: Asarum caudatum

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. intermontana

* Candyflower: Claytonia siberica - A few plants beginning to bloom at lower elevations.

Columbia Lewisia: Lewisia columbiana var. columbiana

Streambank Springbeauty: Montia parvifolia

* Big-leaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla - A few plants beginning to bloom at lower elevations.

* Common Chickweed: Stellaria media

Oregon Anemone: Anemone oregana

Western Columbine: Aquilegia formosa

Rockslide Larkspur: Delphinium glareosum - In bud.

Western Meadowrue: Thalictrum occidentale - Flower buds forming.

* Shining Oregongrape: Berberis aquifolium

* Cascade Oregongrape: Berberis nervosa

* Angle-leaf Bittercress: Cardamine angulata ?

* Hairy Bittercress: Cardamine hirsuta

* Coast Toothwort: Cardamine integrifolia ?

* Springbeauty: Cardamine nuttallii

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum

* Shepherd's Cress: Teesdalia nudicaulis

Oregon Stonecrop: Sedum oreganum

Broadleaved Stonecrop: Sedum spathulifolium

* Dutchman's Breeches: Dicentra cucullaria

* Bleeding Heart: Dicentra formosa - Beginning to bloom.

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii

Smallflower Alumroot: Heuchera micrantha var. micrantha

Smooth Woodlandstar: Lithophragma glabrum

Western Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa - Flower buds forming.

* Rustyhair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula

Fringecup: Tellima grandiflora - In bud.

Youth-on-age: Tolmiea menziesii

Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. semiintegrifolia?)

Goat's Beard: Aruncus dioicus var. acuminatus

Wood Strawberry: Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata

Broadpetal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala

Largeleaf Avens: Geum macrophyllum var. macrophyllum

Creambush Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor

* Indian Plum: Oemlaria cerasiformus - Finishing blooming at lower elevations.

Sticky Cinquefoil: Drymocallis glandulosa (var. ?)

Himalayan Blackberry: Rubus armeniacus

Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus - Leaf buds breaking.

* Salmonberry: Rubus spectabilus

Pacific Trailing Blackberry: Rubus ursinus

Largeleaf Lupine: Lupinus polyphyllus?

* Pioneer Violet: Viola glabella

* Evergreen Violet: Viola sempervirens

Herb Robert: Geranium robertianum

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum

Devil's Club: Oploplanax horridus

Cow Parsnip: Heracleum maximum

Fernleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum var. dissectum

* Cascade Desert Parsley: Lomatium martindalei - Beginning to bloom on Hardy Ridge.

Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

Salt and Pepper: Lomatium (piperi ?)

Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

Mountain Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

Bearberry: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Salal: Gaultheria shallon

Red Huckleberry: Vaccinium parvifolium

Broadleaved Starflower: Trientalis latifolia

Spreading Phlox: Phlox diffusa

Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

Pacific Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum tenuipes

Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

Woodland Phacelia: Phacelia nemoralis

Lemon Balm: Melissa officinalis

Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida (var. ?) - Plants are in bud.

Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - In bud.

Cascade Penstemon: Penstemon serrulatus

Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

Annual Bedstraw: Galium aparine

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus

Scouler's Harebell?: Campanula scouleri ?

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Pathfinder: Adenocaulon bicolor

Mountain Arnica: Arnica latifolia

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Hawkweed: Hieracium sp. (non-native)

False Dandelion: Hypochaeris radicata

Common Nipplewort: Lapsana communis

* Sweet Colt's Foot: Petasites frigidus

Columbia Gorge Groundsel: Senecio bolanderi var. harfordii

Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus (var. ?)

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale


Paul Slichter