[Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington: 2021]

Wildflower Bloom Along the Buck Creek Trail on Penny Ridge and Atop Monte Carlo

Washington Department of Natural Resources and Gifford Pinchot National Forest

June 10, 2021

Wildflowers blooming in the meadows atop Monte Carlo..........June 10, 2021.

Wildflowers blooming in the meadows atop Monte Carlo..........June 10, 2021. Harsh paintbrush (Castilleja hispida var. hispida) and showy phlox (Phlox speciosa) are the main wildflowers seen in this view.

* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) - Calcified remains of last season's fungus.

Western Sword Fern: Polystichum munitum

Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum

Pacific Silver Fir: Abies amabilis

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

* Vine Maple: Acer circinatum

Douglas Maple: Acer glabrum var. douglasii

Bigleaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

California Hazelnut: Corylus cornuta var. californica

Quaking Aspen: Populus tremuloides

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

Scouler's Willow: Salix couleriana

* Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

* Pacific Woodrush: Luzula comosa var. laxa

* Lemmon's Needlegrass: Achnatherum lemmonii ssp. lemmonii

* Meadow Brome: Bromus commutatus

* California Brome: Bromus sitchensis var. carinatus

* Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum - Mostly around the trailhead.

* Dogtail Grass: Cynosurus echinata

* Blue Wildrye: Elymus glaucus

* Idaho Fescue: Festuca idahoensis

* Prairie Junegrass: Koeleria macrantha

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa - Past reproductive stage. At trailhead meadow.

* Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

* Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum

Sagebrush Mariposa Lily: Calochortus macrocarpus ssp. macrocarpus

* Cascade Mariposa Lily: Calochortus subalpinus

Bead Lily: Clintonia uniflora - In bud.

Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum (var. pallidum ?) - Past bloom so positive ID.

Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Pods forming on balds atop Monte Carlo.

Columbia Lily: Lilium columbianum - In bud.

* False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule

* Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum stellatum

* Hooker's Fairy Bells: Prosartes hookeri

* Western Wakerobin: Trillium ovatum - Fading out of bloom in forest near the top of Monte Carlo.

Coralroot Orchids: Corallorhiza sp.... - In bud.

Rattlesnake Plantain Orchid: Goodyera oblongifolia

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum - In bud.

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum - In bud.

* Sulfur Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum - Beginning to bloom.

Douglas' Knotweed: Polygonum douglasii

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

* Largeleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

* Oregon Catchfly: Silene oregana

* Baneberry: Actaea rubra

* Columbia Windflower: Anemone deltoidea

* Western Columbine: Aquilegia formosa

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum

* Vanilla Leaf: Achlys triphylla

Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium - Past bloom.

* Cascade Oregon Grape: Berberis nervosa - Fading out of bloom.

* Inside-out-flower: Vancouveria hexandra

* Black-flowered Rockcress: Boechera atrorubens - Still in bloom atop Monte Carlo.

* Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum

* Wormleaf Stonecrop: Sedum stenopetalum ssp. stenopetalum

* Three-toothed Mitrewort: Ozomelis trifida

* Red-flowering Currant: Ribes sanguineum - Fading out of bloom.

* Sticky Currant: Ribes viscosissimum

* Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia var. alnifolia

* Sticky Cinquefoil: Drymocallis glandulosa ssp. glandulosa

* Woods Strawberry: Fragaria vesca ssp. californica

Creambush Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor

* Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata - Fading out of bloom.

* Baldhip Rose: Rosa gymnocarpa

* Nootka Rose: Rosa nutkana (var. ?)

* Dwarf Bramble: Rubus lasiococcus

* Thimbleberry: Rubus nutkanus

* Sitka Mountain Ash: Sorbus sitchensis var. sitchensis - Fading out of bloom.

Shinyleaf Spiraea: Spiraea lucida

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

* Nevada Deervetch: Acmispon nevadensis var. nevadensis

* Leafy Peavine: Lathyrus polyphyllus

* Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus

* Largeleaf Lupine: Lupinus polyphyllus var. polyphyllus

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum

American Vetch: Vicia americana var. americana

* Common Vetch: Vicia sativa

* Pioneer Violet: Viola glabella

* Upland Yellow Violet: Viola praemorsa var. praemorsa

* Streambank Globemallow: Iliamna rivularis - Beginning to bloom.

* Buckbrush: Ceanothus sanguineus - Fading out of bloom.

Klamathweed: Hypericum perforatum

Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium

* Lowly Groundsmoke: Gayophytum humile

Gray's Lovage: Ligusticum grayi

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium brevifolium (L. triternatum)

Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum - Past bloom.

Fernleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium dissectum

* Common Sweet Cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

* Sierra Snakeroot: Sanicula graveolens

Sidebells Wintergreen: Orthillia secunda

White-vein Wintergreen: Pyrola picta

Thinleaf Huckleberry: Vaccinium membranaceum

* Pacific Dogwood: Cornus nuttallii

* Nightblooming Morning Glory: Calystegia atriplicifolia ssp. atriplicifolia

* Spreading Dogbane: Apocynum androsaemifolium - Beginning to bloom.

* Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. columbiana

* Western Starflower: Lysimachia latifolia

* Bluefields Gilia: Gilia capitata - Beginning to bloom.

Harkness' Desert-trumpets: Leptosiphon harknessii - In bud.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Mountain Navarretia: Navarretia divaricata

* Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa

* Ballhead Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - Still in bloom atop Monte Carlo.

* Small-flowered Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora var. austiniae

* Small-flowered Nemophila: Nemophila parviflora var. parviflora

* Woodland Phacelia: Phacelia nemoralis var. oregonensis

* Common Cryptanth: Cryptantha intermedia

* Cryptanth: Cryptantha sp. - Small flowers.

* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. hispida

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

Yakima Bird's-beak: Cordylanthus capitatus

Woodland Beardtongue: Nothochelone nemorosa

* Cardwell's Penstemon: Penstemon cardwellii

* Rock Penstemon: Penstemon rupicola

* Finetooth Penstemon: Penstemon subserratus

* Naked Broomrape: Aphyllon purpureum

* English Plantain: Plantago lanceolata

* Common Plantain: Plantago major

* Cleavers: Galium aparine

Oregon Bedstraw: Galium oreganum

Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum

* Orange Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa

* Purple-flower Honeysuckle: Lonicera conjugialis

Elderberry: Sambucus sp. - probably blue elderberry

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus

Creeping Snowberry: Symhoricarpos mollis

Scouler's Harebell: Campanula scouleri

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Pathfinder: Adenocaulon bicolor

* Racemose Pussytoes: Antennaria racemosa

* Heartleaved Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

* Mountain Arnica: Arnica latifolia

* Northwest Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza deltoidea - Past its peak at the summit of Monte Carlo.

Silvercrown Luina: Cacaliopsis nardosmia

Diffuse Knapweed: Centaurea diffusa - In bud.

Hall's Goldenweed: Columbiadoria hallii

Gray Hawksbeard: Crepis intermedia - In bud atop Monte Carlo.

* Oregon Sunshine: Eriophyllum lanatum var. lanatum

* Rocky Mountain Sunflower: Helianthella uniflora var. douglasii - In full bloom on lower Penny Ridge, just starting atop Monte Carlo.

White-flowered Hawkweed: Hieracium albiflorum

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri

* Oxeye Daisy: Leucanthemum vulgare

* Lemon-scented Tarweed: Madia citriodora

* Nodding Microseris: Microseris nutans

Wall Lettuce: Mycelis muralis - Weedy species along parts of the trail.

* Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. ochroleucus

Goldenrod: Solidago sp.

* Common Dandylion: Taraxacum officinale- Weedy species observed occasionally along the trail.

Salsify: Tragopogon dubius


Animals Observed During This Hike:

Red-tailed Hawk

Ruffed Grouse - Observed on road to trailhead.

Sooty Grouse

Hermit Thrushes

Black-headed Grosbeaks

Evening Grosbeaks

Spotted Towhees

Cedar Waxwings

Dark-eyed Juncos

Pine Siskins

Red-breasted Nuthatches

Vaux's Swifts

Western Fence Lizard

Blues

Julia's Orangetips

Bumblebees - 3 species, at least.

Lady Bugs


Paul Slichter