[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington: 2017]

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

June 17, 2017

Simcoe Mountain Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area

Elkhorns clarkia (Clarkia pulchella) and scabland wild buckwheat (Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare) blooming on a bald atop Bickleton Ridge, Klickitat Wildlife Area........June 17, 2017.

Masses of elkhorns clarkia (Clarkia pulchella) and scabland wild buckwheat (Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare) blooming on a bald atop Bickleton Ridge, Klickitat Wildlife Area........June 17, 2017.

Note: Most of this hike was taken between the elevations of 35-4400'.

Weather: Mostly sunny with a light to medium breeze and temps in the low 80s.


* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Antlered Perfume: Evernia prunastri

Brown-eyed Wolf Lichen: Letharia columbiana

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Western Juniper: Juniperus occidentalis var. ocidentalis

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Coast Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - In bud.

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Scouler's Willow: Salix scouleriana

Arroyo Willow: Salix lasiolepis ?

Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

* Sedge: Carex #1 - Something like microptera or pachystachya

* Common Spike-rush: Eleocharis palustris

Rush: Juncus (like tenuis ?) - In bud.

Rush #2: Juncus sp. - In bud.

* Lemmon's Needlegrass: Achnatherum lemmonii ssp. lemmonii

* Cheat Grass: Bromus tectorum

* Orchard Grass: Dactylis glomerata

* One-spike Oatgrass: Danthonia unispicata

* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

* Blue Wild Rye: Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus

* Idaho Fescue: Festuca idahoensis

Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii - Past bloom.

Nevada Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia - Past bloom.

Sandberg's Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. secunda - Past bloom.

* Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

* North African Grass: Ventenata dubia

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Both white and purple-flowered forms.

* Nevius' Onion: Allium nevii

Green-banded Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus ssp. macrocarpus - In bud.

Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - Maturing pods.

Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Pods well-formed.

Panicle Death Camas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum

* Meadow Death Camas: Toxicoscordion venenosum - Fading out of bloom.

* Hyacinth Cluster Lily: Triteleia hyacinthina

Rein Orchid: Platanthera sp. - Stems elongating

* Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum - Beginning to bloom. Both cream and yellow flowered forms.

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum - In bud.

* Douglas' Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

Broom Buckwheat: Eriogonum vimineum - At the trailhead.

Prostrate Knotweed: Polygonum aviculare

* Douglas' Knotweed: Polygonum douglasii ?

* Close-flowered Knotweed: Polygonum polygalioides ssp. confertiflorum - Beginning to bloom.

* Sheep Sorrel: Rumex acetosella - Stream at trailhead.

Curly Dock: Rumex crispus

Willow Dock: Rumex triangulivalvis - In bud. s

* Erubescent Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia rubra ssp. rubra

* Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva - Still blooming on ridgetop balds.

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis - Fading out of bloom.

* Sticky Chickweed: Cerastium glomeratum

* Mountain Sandwort: Eremogone capillaris var. americana

* Franklin's Sandwort: Eremogone franklinii (var. ?)

Meadow Larkspur: Delphinium distichum - In bud.

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Little Buttercup: Ranunculus uncinatus

Sicklepod Rockcress: Boechera pauciflora - Fruits forming.

Secund Rockcress: Boechera retrofracta - Fruits forming.

* Shepherd's Purse: Capsella bursa-pastoris

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna - A few plants left in bloom.

Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum

Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera - Maturing pods.

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum - A few plants in bloom under pines atop the ridge.

Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum

Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia var. alnifolia - Fruits forming.

Douglas' Hawthorn: Crataegus douglasii - Fruits forming.

* Cordillerian Cinquefoil: Drymocallis convallaria ?

* Sticky Cinquefoil: Drymocallis glandulosa var. glandulosa

Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor

Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata

* Chokecherry: Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa - Fading out of bloom.

* Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Several plants still in bloom atop the ridgetop.

* American Bird's-foot Trevoil: Acmispon americanus var. americanus

* Nevada Deervetch: Acmispon nevadensis var. nevadensis

Yakima Milkvetch: Astragalus reventiformis

* Few-flowered Pea: Lathyrus pauciflorus var. pauciflorus

* Nevada Pea: Lathyrus lanszwertii var. lanszwertii - Beginning to bloom.

* Leafy Pea: Lathyrus polyphyllus

* Spurred Lupine: Lupinus argenteus var. heteranthus ? - Past their peak bloom.

* Prairie Lupine: Lupinus lepidus var. aridus - Atop the ridgetop.

* Common Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius - Past their peak bloom.

* Cup Clover: Trifolium cyathiferum

Big-head Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - Past bloom.

* Few-flower Clover: Trifolium oliganthum ? - Beginning to bloom.

* Sticky Geranium: Geranium viscosissimum var. incisum

Upland Yellow Violet: Viola praemorsa var. linguifolia - Past bloom.

Sagebrush Violet: Viola trinervata - Past bloom. Leaves only.

* Snowbrush: Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus

Oregon Checker-mallow: Sidalcea oregana var. oregana - In bud.

Fireweed: Chamaenerion angustifolium

* Elkhorns Clarkia: Clarkia pulchella

* Diamond Clarkia: Clarkia rhomboidea

Tall Annual Evening Primrose: Epilobium brachycarpum

* Small-flowered Evening Primrose: Epilobium minutum

Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

Gray's Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum 

Nine Leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium tridentatum (var. brevifolium ? )

* Common Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

Western Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis

Gairdner's Yampah: Perideridia montana (Perideridia gairdneri)

White-vein Wintergreen: Pyrola picta - In bud.

Pinedrops: Pterospora andromedaea - Last year's stalks. No sign of new growth.

Spreading Dogbane: Apocynum androsaemifolium

Narrowleaf Milkweed: Asclepias fascicularis

* Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. columbiana

* Large-flowered Collomia: Collomia grandiflora - Beginning to bloom.

* Narrow-leaved Collomia: Collomia linearis - Past their peak bloom.

* Scarlet Gilia: Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. aggregata

* Bolander's Babystars: Leptosiphon bolanderi

Harkness' Flaxflower: Leptosiphon harknessii ? - In bud around trailhead.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis var. gracilis - Fading out of bloom.

* Brewer's Navarretia: Navarretia breweri - Blooming atop Bickleton Ridge.

Needle-leaf Navarretia: Navarretia intertexta (ssp. ?) - In bud.

Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum - Pst bloom.

Woods Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora var. austiniae - Past bloom.

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata - Only still in bloom in the wettest places.

* Varied-leaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla var. virgata

* Linear-leaf Phacelia: Phacelia linearis

* Slender Cryptanth: Cryptantha affinis

* Yellow and Blue Scorpionweed: Myosotis discolor

* Matted Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys scouleri var. penicillatus - Small flowers.

* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida (We didn't get a close look at it, so it might be C. miniata) ?

* Common Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata var. miniata - Moist areas.

* Hairy Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja tenuis

* Thompson's Paintbrush: Castilleja thompsonii - Past their peak bloom.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Fading out of bloom in moist areas atop the ridge.

* Common Monkeyflower: Erythranthe guttata

* Gairdner's Penstemon: Penstemon gairdneri var. gairdneri

* Stickystem Penstemon: Penstemon glandulosus var. glandulosus

* Fine-toothed Penstemon: Penstemon subserratus

* American Brooklime: Veronica americana

* Common Plantain: Plantago major

* Cleavers: Galium aparine

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus

* Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. vaccinioides (formerly Symphoricarpos oreophilus var. utahensis)

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla

* Spear-leaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa

Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha - Past bloom.

* Woodrush Pussytoes: Antennaria luzuloides - Beginning to bloom.

* Heart-leaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia Past their peak

* Twin Arnica: Arnica sororia - Disc corollas with both stipitate-glandular and spreading hairs. No tufts of brown wool in the leaf axils, though.

Stiff Sagebrush: Artemisia rigida

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana Still numerous on upper slopes of Bickleton Ridge.

Hooker's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza hookeri var. hookeri

Hybrid Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana x hookeri

* Silvercrown: Cacaliopsis nardosmia - Still blooming atop the ridge top.

* Dustymaidens: Chaenactis douglasii var. douglasii - Beginning to bloom.

Baker's Hawksbeard: Crepis bakeri

* Gray Hawksbeard: Crepis intermedia - In bud.

Low Hawksbeard: Crepis modocensis - Plants with woolly involucres. Past bloom.

Western Hawksbeard: Crepis occidentalis - Past bloom.

Rabbitbrush Goldenweed: Ericameria bloomeri

Rubber Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa var. speciosa

* Scabland Fleabane: Erigeron bloomeri var. bloomeri

* Yellow Desert Daisy: Erigeron linearis

Cushion Fleabane: Erigeron poliospermus - Past bloom.

* Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium

* White Hawkweed: Hieracium albiflorum

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri - In bud.

Prickly Lettuce: Lactuca serriola

* Small Tarweed: Madia exigua

* Mountain Tarweed: Madia glomerata ?

* Coast Tarweed: Madia sativa ?

Pineapple Weed: Matricaria discoidea - In bud.

* Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans - Under forest atop Bickleton Ridge.

False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides - Seed heads forming.

Columbia Goldenweed: Pyrrocoma carthamoides var. carthamoides - In bud.

* Yellow Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltus - Fading out of bloom.

* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

* Salsify: Tragopogon dubius


Animals Seen at the Simcoe Mountains Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area:

Chipmunks

Ravens

Clark's Nutcracker

Spotted Towhee

Western Tanager

American Robin

Mountain Bluebirds

Dusky Flycatchers

Western Wood Peewees

Casssin's Finches

Pine Siskins

Red Crossbills - Common. Very vocal.

Chipping Sparrows

Dark-eyed Juncos

Red-breasted Nuthatches

White-breasted Nuthatches

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Mountain Chickadee

Pacific Chorus Frog

Pale Swallowtail

Coronis Fritillary

California Tortoiseshells

Mourning Cloaks

Ochre Ringlets

Propertius Duskywings ?

Skippers

Boisduval blues


Paul Slichter