[Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge: 2018]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Klickitat River: Ridge between Skookum and Wahkiacus Canyons

Klickitat Wildlife Area, Washington DNR and BLM managed areas

March 27, 2018

A view downstream along the Klickitat River towards Suburbia from a ridge between Skookum and Wahkiacus Canyons, BLM, DNR, and Klickitat Wildlife Area lands.......March 27, 2018.

A view upstream along the Klickitat River towards Swale Canyon from a ridge between Skookum and Wahkiacus Canyons, BLM, DNR, and Klickitat Wildlife Area lands.......March 27, 2018.

* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Antlered Perfume: Evernia prunastri

Wolf Lichen: Letharia (vulpina ?)

Brown-eyed Sunshine Lichen: Vulpicida canadensis

Bristly Haircap Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

Idaho Fescue: Festuca idahoensis

Prairie Junegrass: Koeleria macrantha

Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Leiberg's Bluegrass: Poa leibergii

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

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

Ookow: Dichelostemma congestum - Basal leaves.

*Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - Numerous in oak woods above the Klickitat River

Panicled Deathcamas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum

Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii - Basal leaves.

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

Rein Orchid: Platanthera sp.

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Broom Buckwheat: Eriogonum vimineum - Old stems and leaves.

* Pale Springbeauty: Claytonia exigua ssp. exigua

* Streambank Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia parviflora

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

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

* Shiny Starwort: Stellaria nitens

Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - In bud.

Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium - In bud.

* Oak Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow Grass: Draba verna

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Smooth Praire Star: Lithophragma glabrum

* Peak Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Leafing out.

Cinquefoil: Drymocallis sp.

Annual Burnet: Poteridium annuum

Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata

Pacific Trailing Blackberry: Rubus ursinus

Milkvetch: Astragalus hoodianus or Astragalus reventiformis - In bud.

Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus (latifolius x latifolius ?) - Leaves.

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum

Klamath Weed: Hypericum perforatum

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

* Three-nerve Violet: Viola trinervata

Deerbrush: Ceanothus integerrimus

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum

Slender Clarkia: Clarkia gracilis ? - Last year's stems and seed pods.

Tall Annual Willowherb: Epilobium brachycarpum - Last year's stems

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum

Fern-leaved Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum (var. dissectum ?)

* Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatensis

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum - Yellow flowered form.

* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

Pacific Sanicle: Sanicula crassicaulis

Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens

False Hedge-parsley: Yabea microcarpa

Spreading Dogbane: Apocynum androsaemifolium ? - Last year's fruits and stems.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

Phacelia: Phacelia (hastata/heterophylla ?)

* Menzie's Fiddleneck: Amsinckia menziesii (var. ?) - Beginning to bloom.

* Field Gromwell: Buglossoides arvensis

Winged Pectocarya: Pectocarya penicillata - In bud.

* Slender Popcornflower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

* Red Dead Nettle: Lamium purpureum

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora - Some plants with solid white flowers.

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii - New leaf growth.

Common Mullein: Verbascum thapsus

Bedstraw, Cleavers: Galium aparine

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus

Spearleaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa

Riverbank Wormwood: Artemisia (ludoviciana?)

Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana

Knapweed: Centaurea sp.

Chicory: Cichorum intybus

Smooth Hawksbeard: Crepis capillaris

* Goldstars: Crocidium multicaule

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri

* False Agoseris: Nothocalais troximoides

Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus (var. ?)

Salsify: Tragopogon dubius


Animals Seen along this Route:

Mule Deer - tracks & spoor

Bald Eagles - Adult and juvenile

Red-tailed Hawk

Common Crows - Heard

Downy or Hairy Woodpecker - heard

Pileated Woodpecker ? - heard

Northern Flicker - Heard

Western Bluebirds

Spotted Towhee - Heard

Dark-eyed Juncos

Black-capped Chickadee


Paul Slichter