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

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Catherine Creek

April 4, 2018

Masses of gold stars (Crocidium multicaule) and upland larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum) blooming at Catherine Creek.......April 19, 2017.

A carpet of gold stars (Crocidium multicaule) and upland larkspurs (Delphinium nuttallianum) on the canyon walls of Catherine Creek.........April 19, 2017.

Comprehensive Catherine Creek Plant List

Weather: Mostly cloudy with a thin layer letting the sun through in the morning and thickening and lowering by early afternoon. Winds mostly calm with winds with occasional gusts to mph by mid-afternoon. Temps in low to mid 50s.

Route: Trail up east the side of Catherine Creek to above the Arch....... about 2 miles.


* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Glossy Red Bryum Moss: Bryum miniatum - On rocks in the creeks or at seeps.

Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum

Polytrichum Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Podfern: Aspidotis densa - New foliage emerging.

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza

* Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana - Some trees beginning to leaf out and catkins are forming.

* Long-anther Woodrush: Luzula macrantha

* Annual Bluegrass: Poa annua

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Nevada Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia

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

Ball-head Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum - Basal leaves only.

* Common Camas: Camassia quamash var. quamash - Beginning to bloom. Still 7-10 days from peak bloom.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Only a fewplants seen in flower.

Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii - Several plants in bud.

* Meadow Death-camas: Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum - Nearing peak bloom.

Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Past bloom.

Northern Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum - Only leaves.

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva - Many plants with flower buds.

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Chickweed: Stellaria media

Meadow Larkspur: Delphinium distichum - Numerous clusters of basal leaves in wet drainages.

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

* Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

* Dutchman Breeches: Dicentra cucullaria - Numerous plants seen in bloom under the oaks.

* Mouse-ear Cress: Arabidopsis thaliana

* Spring Whitlow Grass: Draba verna - Fading out of bloom.

* Shepherd's Cress: Teesdalia nudicaulis - Way too numerous.

Fringe Pods: Thysanocarpus curvipes

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Brittle-leaved Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

* Northwestern Saxifrage: Micranthes integrifolia

* Rusty-hair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula - Fading out of bloom.

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii - Beginning to leaf out.

* Cusick's Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia var. cusickii - Beginning to bloom.

Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor - Leafing out.

Blackcap: Rubus leucodermis - Ditch at west side of parking area.

Annual Burnet: Poteridium occidentale

* Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus - Beginning to bloom.

* Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus latifolius x sericeus (Lupius latifolius var. latifolius) - Some plants with budding racemes visible near Catherine Creek. Blooming along the old highway adjacent to Rowland Lake.

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum

* Sand Clover: Trifolium oliganthum (formerly Trifolium variegatum) - A few plants beginning to bloom in the area burned several summers ago.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum - A few plants beginning to leaf out.

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Mostly past bloom.

* Klickitat Desert Parsley: Lomatium klickitatense - Peak bloom.

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow-flowered form) - Past peak bloom.

* Bare-stem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

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

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens

* Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum - Still a week from peak bloom.

* Baby Stars: Leptosiphon bicolor - Beginning to bloom.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

Silver-leaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata - In bud.

* Rigid Fiddleneck: Amsinckia menziesii var. menziesii

* Weak-stem Cryptantha: Cryptantha flaccida

* Great Houndstongue: Adelinia grandis

* Rusty Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys nothofulvus

* Matted Popcorn flower: Plagiobothry scouleri var. penicillatus

* Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

* Henbit: Lamium amplexicaule

* Red Dead Nettle: Lamium purpureum

Attenuate Paintbrush: Castilleja attenuata - Only foliage.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Few-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia sparsiflora

* Chickweed Monkey Flower: Erythranthe alsinoides

* Common Monkey Flower: Erythranthe guttata

Barrett's Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae - Plants beginning to form stems with flower buds.

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii - Only leaves.

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum - Peak bloom.

* Bedstraw, Cleavers: Galium aparine

* Big Root: Marah oreganus

* Long-spurred Plectritis: Plectritis ciliosa

* Rosy Plectritis: Plectritis congesta - About 7-10 days from peak bloom.

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera - Still in bloom along Old Highway at crest of hill west of parking area.

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium - In bud.

* Annual Agoseris: Agoseris heterophylla

Spearleaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana (or Balsamorhiza careyana x deltoidea) - In bloom where there's deeper soil.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule - Fading out of bloom.

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri

* False Agoseris, Prairie Dandylion: Nothocalais troximoides - Nearing peak bloom.

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale


Animals Seen Along This Route Today:

Merlin

Osprey above Rowland Lake

Red-tailed hawks

Turkey Vultures

Northern Flickers - Heard

Ravens

Stellers Jays

Spotted Towhees

Western Bluebirds

Violet-green Swallows

Bumble Bees


Paul Slichter