[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington: 2018]

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

April 20, 2018

Simcoe Mountains Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area

Crest of Bickleton Ridge, East Simcoe Mountains Unit, Klickitat Wildlife Area........April 20, 2018. - masses of goldstars (Crocidium multicaule) in bloom around antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), East Simcoe Mountains Unit, Klickitat Wildlife Area........April 20, 2018.

The photo at left shows a view north towards the crest of Bickleton Ridge, East Simcoe Mountains Unit, Klickitat Wildlife Area........April 20, 2018. The photo at right shows masses of goldstars (Crocidium multicaule) in bloom around antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) in the same area.

Note: Most of this hike was taken between the elevations of 2900-3600'.

Weather: Mostly sunny with a light breeze and temps in the low to mid-60s in the morning. Mid-afternoon saw increasing clouds with a cool wind.


* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Horse Hair Lichen: Bryoria sp.

Antlered Perfume: Evernia prunastri

Brown-eyed Wolf Lichen: Letharia columbiana

Brown-eyed Sunshine Lichen: Vulpicida canadensis

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

Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana - Beginning to leaf out above Dairy Canyon.

Arroyo Willow: Salix sp - In bud. In creeks or moist swales with sub-surface water. Clonal?

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri - Beginning to bloom.

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

Blue Wild Rye: Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus

Idaho Fescue: Festuca idahoensis

Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum

Rock Onion: Allium macrum ? - In bud in moist swales.

Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus - Leaves

Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - In bud.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Peak bloom.

Panicle Death Camas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Beginning to bloom.

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. inflatum - Beginning to bloom.

Rein Orchid: Platanthera sp.

Bastard Toad Flax: Comandra umbellata (var. pallida ?) - Leaves.

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Douglas' Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum (var. proliferum ?)

Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva

* Dwarf Montia: Montia dichotoma

* Spring Water Chickweed: Montia fontana

* Lineleaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Jagged Chickweed: Holosteum umbellatum

* Shining Starwort: Stellaria nitens

Meadow Larkspur: Delphinium distichum

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Beginning to bloom near Dairy Canyon.

Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens

American Wintercress: Barbarea orthoceras - In bud along creeks.

* Black-flowered Rockcress: Boechera atrorubens - Beginning to bloom.

* Sicklepod Rockcress: Boechera pauciflora - Beginning to bloom.

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii - Peak bloom.

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

*Scale Pod: Idahoa scapigera - Blooming, with some plants with maturing pods.

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera (now included as part of Lithophragma glabrum)

Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum ? - Leaves.

Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa ?

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes integrifolia - Beginning to bloom.

Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum - Leafing out.

Cinquefoil: Drymocallis sp.

Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor

Slender Cinquefoil: Potentilla gracilis var. gracilis - Leaves.

Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Beginning to leaf out.

Rose: Rosa sp.

Yakima Milkvetch: Astragalus reventiformis - Only leaves.

Leafy Pea: Lathyrus lanszwertii or Lathyrus pauciflorus ? - Only Leaves.

Lupine: Lupinus sp.

Big-head Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum - A few plants in bud.

Yellow Montane Violet: Viola nuttallii ssp. praemorsa - Leaves.

* Sagebrush Violet: Viola trinervata - Beginning to bloom.

Buck Brush: Ceanothus sanguineus

Snowbrush: Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus

Oregon Checker-mallow: Sidalcea oregana var. oregana

Common Clarkia: Clarkia rhomboidea - Leaves.

Tall Annual Evening Primrose: Epilobium brachycarpum

* Canby's Desert Parsley: Lomatium canbyi

* Gray-leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium macrocarpum - Yellow-flowered form.

* Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Numerous.

* Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi

* Nine Leaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium tridentatum var. triternatum - Beginning to bloom.

Western Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza occidentalis - Leaves.

Gairdner's Yampah: Perideridia montana (Perideridia gairdneri)

Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. columbiana

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

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon/Primula poeticum - Beginning to bloom.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Tufted Phlox: Phlox cespitosa

Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa

* Littlebells Polemonium: Polemonium micranthum

* Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. capitatum

Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata

Rusty Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys nothofulvus ? - Basal leaves only.

Slender Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys tenellus - Beginning to bloom.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Beginning to bloom.

Fine-tooth Penstemon: Penstemon subserratus

Gairdner's Penstemon: Penstemon gairdneri var. gairdneri

Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

Cleavers: Galium aparine

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Spear-leaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa

* Low Pussytoes: Antennaria dimorpha - Beginning to bloom.

Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia - Leaves.

Stiff Sagebrush: Artemisia rigida

Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana - Leaves emerging from the ground above Dairy Creek.

* Hooker's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza hookeri var. hookeri - Beginning to bloom.

Silvercrown: Cacaliopsis nardosmia - Leaves.

Dustymaidens: Chaenactis douglasii var. douglasii - Leaves.

Smooth Hawksbeard: Crepis capillaris - Leaves.

Gray Hawksbeard: Crepis intermedia ? - Leaves.

Western Hawksbeard: Crepis occidentalis ? - Leaves.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Numerous.

Rubber Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa var. speciosa - Beginning to leaf out.

Yellow Desert Daisy: Erigeron linearis

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri

False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides - Leaves.

Yellow Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltus - In bud.

* Common Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale

Salsify: Tragopogon dubius - Last year's stalks.


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

Douglas' Squirrel - Heard

Mule Deer- Numerous spoor and tracks observed.

Feral Turkeys - Numerous droppings.

Ravens

Stellers Jays

Downy or Hairy Woodpecker - Heard

Northern Flickers - Heard

American Robins

Western Bluebirds

Dark-eyed Juncos

Mountain Chickadees

Red-breasted Nuthatches

White-breasted Nuthatches

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Hummingbird - Heard overhead but not observed.

Western Fence Lizards

The following butterlies were moving too fast to get a good look at them:

Great Arctics ?

California Tortoiseshells ?

Julia's Orangetips

Mourning Cloak

Spring Azures ?

Hoover Flies


Paul Slichter