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

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Catherine Creek

East side of Catherine Creek below the powerlines

March 11, 2016

Poet's Shootingstars: Dodecatheon poeticum

Poet's Shootingstars: Dodecatheon poeticum. Photographed at Catherine Creek, Columbia River Gorge........March 11, 2016.

* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Comprehensive Catherine Creek Plant List

Weather: Heavy cloud cover with intermittent rain showers and light winds to 5 mph. Temps upper 40s in the morning rising to about 50 in the afternoon.

Antlered Perfume: Evernia prunastri

Glossy Red Bryum Moss: Bryum miniatum

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

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Basal leaves abundant on rock outcrops with shallow soils.

Common Camas: Camassia quamash - In bud. It should begin bloom within a week.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - A good bloom at low elevation.

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

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata var. perfoliata - Beginning to bloom.

Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva - A few plants with small flower buds.

* Water Chickweed: Montia fontana var. tenerrima

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis - Beginning to bloom.

* Chickweed: Stellaria media

Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum - In bud.

* Spring Whitlow Grass: Draba verna

* Oregon Fairy Poppy: Meconella oregana

* Smooth Praire Star: Lithophragma glabrum (Synonym: Lithophragma glabra)

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

* Rustyhair Saxifrage: Saxifraga rufidula

Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius x sericeus - Several plants with racemes with flower buds along old Highway 8 adjacent to Rowland Lake and along SR 14 at the east end of Rowland Lake. Perhaps they will bloom by early next week?

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Poison Oak: Rhus diversiloba - Reddish leaves beginning to unfurl.

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Mid bloom.

* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayii

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow-flowered form)

Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Piper's Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi - Fading out of bloom below the powerlines.

Gairdner's Yampah: Perideridia montana - Leaves only.

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum - A few plants beginning to bloom.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus - Beginning to bloom.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Few-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia sparsiflora - Beginning to bloom.

* Chickweed Monkey Flower: Mimulus alsinoides - Beginning to bloom.

Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Bedstraw, Cleavers: Galium aparine

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule


Animals Seen Along This Route Today:

Northern Flickers

Lewis' Woodpeckers

Stellers Jays

Scrub Jays

Western Meadowlarks

American Robins

Western Bluebirds

Dark-eyed Juncos


Paul Slichter