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

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Rowena Dell & Rowena Benches

April 5, 2016

Upland Larkspurs (Delphinium nuttallianum) and Gold Stars (Crocidium multicaule) blooming along a mossy, rocky slope between Memaloose and Rowena, Columbia River Gorge..........April 5, 2014.

Upland Larkspurs (Delphinium nuttallianum) and Gold Stars (Crocidium multicaule) blooming along a mossy, rocky slope between Memaloose and Rowena, Columbia River Gorge.......April 5, 2014.

* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Weather: Sunny. Temps in the mid 50s in morning rising to mid to upper 70s by late afternoon. No wind in the morning to a light breezed by mid-afternoon.

Note: This was a cross-country hike. Access i smostly throughgame trails on public lands with routes crossing some steep, talus slopes. Also, the poison oak is pretty thick along this route! Private property blocks access via upper Rowena Dell.

Cowpie Lichen: Diploschistes muscorum ?

Antlered Perfume: Evernia prunastri

Red Glossy Bryum Moss: Bryum miniatum

Polytrichum Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Elongate Racomitrium Moss: Racomitrium elongatum

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Goldback Fern: Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza ?

Imbricate Sword Fern: Polystichum imbricans ssp. imbricans

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

* Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum - Beginning to bloom.

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana - Buds swelling.

* Long-anthered Woodrush: Luzula macrantha ?

* Threadleaf Sedge: Carex fillifolia ssp. filifolia

Bristly Dogtail: Cynosurus echinatus

* Bulbous Blue Grass: Poa bulbosa

* Leiberg's Blue Grass: Poa leibergii - Probably the largest population of this attractive grass I've seen so far in the Gorge!

* Nevada Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia - Fairly numerous.

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

Cereal Rye: Secale cereal ?

Common Bastard Toadflax: Comandra umbellata ssp. californica

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

Ookow, Ball-head Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum - In bud.

* Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - Still in bloom on north-facing slopes.

* Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Only 1 plant still seen in bloom.

* 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

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella

Curly Dock: Rumex crispus

* Streambank Springbeauty: Claytonia parviflora

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

* Rosetted Springbeauty: Claytonia rubra ssp. depressa ?

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

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Jagged Chickweed: Holosteum umbellatum

* German Knawel: Scleranthus annuus ssp. annuus

* Chickweed: Stellaria media

* Shiny Starwort: Stellaria nitens

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Fairly common.

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

* Oregon Fairy Poppies: Meconella oregana

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

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera - Pods matruing.

* Fringe Pod: Thysanocarpus curvipes

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 ?

* Rustyhair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula

* Merten's Saxifrage: Saxifraga mertensiana

* Golden Currant: Ribes aureum

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Beginning to leaf out.

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

Hawthorn: Crataegus sp. - Just beginning to leaf out.

Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor - Beginning to leaf out.

Black Cap: Rubus leucodermis

Himalayan Blackberry: Rubus armeniacus

Hood River Milkvetch: Astragalus hoodianus - In bud.

Common Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolilus

* Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus - Beginning to bloom.

Common Vetch: Vicia sativa

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Dovefoot Geranium: Geranium molle

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum - Plants beginning to leaf out.

Annual Willowherb: Epilobium brachycarpum

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Past there peak.

Fern-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum var. dissectum

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

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow-flowered form)

Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Mostly near I-84.

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon/Primula poeticum

* Babystars: Leptosiphon bicolor - Beginning to bloom.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

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

* Rigid Fiddleneck: Amsinckia retrorsa

Common Houndstongue: Cynoglossum officinale

* Little Combseed: Gruvelia pusilla ?

* Gromwell: Lithospermum arvense

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

* Red-dead Nettle: Lamium purpureum

* Attenuate Paintbrush: Castilleja attenuata - Beginning to bloom.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

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

* Chickweed Monkeyflower: Erythranthe alsinoides

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii - On cliffs above Interstate 84.

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum (both former var. occidentalis and var. purpurea)

English Plantain: Plantago lanceolata

* Bedstraw: Galium aparine

* Big Root: Marah oreganus - Beginning to bloom.

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

* Long-spurred Plectritis: Plectritis ciliosa

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana

Bachelor's Buttons: Centaurea cyanus

Rush Skeletonweed: Chondrilla juncea

Columbia Goldenweed: Columbiadoria hallii

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Columbia Goldenweed: Ericameria resinosa

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri

* False Agoseris, Prairie Dandelion: Nothocalais troximoides

* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - Beginning to bloom.

Salsify: Tragopogon dubius


Animals Seen Along This Route Today:

California Ground Squirrels

Mule Deer herd

Great Blue Heron - Flying along the Columbia River.

Turkey Vultures

Red-tailed Hawks

Canada Geese - On lakes along Interstate 84.

Double-crested Coromorants - Flying above the Columbia River.

Scaup - On the Columbia River.

Northern Flicker

Ravens

Scrub Jays

Stellers Jays

Spotted Towhee

Western Bluebird

Dark-eyed Juncos

Golden-crowned Sparrows

Violet-green Swallows

Canyon Wrens

Garter Snake

Western Fence Lizard

Duskywing

Mourning Cloak

Sara's Orangetips - Numerous

Honey Bees

Large Bumble Bees - numerous

Ticks


Several views of Rowena Creek in Rowena Dell, Columbia River Gorge..........April 5, 2014. - Several views of Rowena Creek in Rowena Dell, Columbia River Gorge..........April 5, 2014.

Several views of Rowena Creek in Rowena Dell, Columbia River Gorge..........April 5, 2014. At the moment, public access to this portion of Rowena Dell is restricted by private land. Several of us are considering a public route to this location, but currently the route is extremely populated with poison oak and ticks, with the possibility of encountering rattlesnakes!

Paul Slichter