[Wildflower Bloom Reports for Washington & Oregon] [Columbia River Gorge Wildflower Bloom Reports Prior to 2002]

[Wildflower Destinations in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

East Bank of the Deschutes River at its Mouth and Upper Hiking Trail to Several Miles Upstream

March 31, 2017

Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens

Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens

Directions to the East Bank of the Deschutes River

* Indicates Plant is in bloom.

* Ripgut Brome: Bromus diandrus

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Basin Wildrye: Leymus cinereus

Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa - In bud.

* Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii

Nevada Bluegrass: Poa secunda var. juncifolia - In bud.

Sandberg's Bluegrass: Poa secunda var. secunda - In bud.

Cereal Rye: Secale cereale

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica- Some still in bloom at higher elevations.

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum - Leaves.

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum - Leaves.

Snow Buckwheat: Eriogonum niveum - Leaves.

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

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

* Chickweed: Stellaria media - A few in bloom.

* Little Western Bitter Cress: Cardamine oligosperma- Many in bloom, many going to seed.

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna- Many in bloom.

Thick-leaf Thelypody: Thelypodium laciniatum var. laciniatum - New growth in cracks on cliffs.

* Fringe Pods: Thysanocarpus curvipes - Numerous

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera (Now included as part of Lithophragma glabrum) - Several plants seen, nearing the end of their bloom.

* Smooth Prairie Star: Lithophragma glabrum - Fairly common, especially on steep slopes or along the upper edges of cliffs.

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum - Numerous.

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes integrifolia - Fairly common near Ferry Springs.

* Almond: Prunus dulcis

* Woolly-pod Milk-vetch: Astragalus purshii - Fairly common on undisturbed soils.

Kellogg's Spurred Lupine: Lupinus caudatus (Lupinus argenteus var. heteranthus ?) - In bud. This species is similar to Lupinus laxiflorus in having a spurred calyx, but differs from the latter in not having tiny hairs on the upper tip of the wing petals and in having longer upper calyx lobes.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium- Common.

* Fern-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum var. multifidum

* Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum - Numerous bloom.

* Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - A few in bloom.

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi - A few still in bloom.

* Nine-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum (former ssp. platycarpum) - A few in bloom.

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon/Primula conjugens - Beginning to bloom

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis- A few in bloom.

* Long-leaf Phlox: Phlox longifolia - Beginning to bloom.

* Tarweed Fiddleneck: Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia - Beginning to bloom.

Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale - Leaves arising from the ground.

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus - A few in bloom.

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera - Numerous.

Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana- Beginning to bloom. These could also be Balsamorhiza deltoidea.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Many in bloom.


Animals Seen along the East Bank of the Deschutes River:

Bushtits (Several)

Golden-crowned Sparrows (Several)

White-crowned Sparrows (Several)

American Robins (Several)

Double-crested Cormorants - 5 or 6.

Black-billed Magpie (1)

Meadowlarks (Numerous)

Ravens - A pair.

Violet-green Swallows (Several)

Dark-eyed Juncos (Numerous)

Canyon Wren (One inquisitive wren seen at close range.)

California Ground Squirrel


Paul Slichter