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

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

Pacific Crest Trail to Three Corner Rock

August 7, 2021

Bunchberry: Cornus unalascensis

Bunchberry: Cornus unalaschensis

Weather: Overcast to partly sunny with occasional mist. Light wind 10-15 mph from the west at Three Corner Rock, lighter along the trail to the east and north of that location. Temperatures in the low 60s.


* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Grand Fir: Abies grandis

Noble Fir: Abies procera

Western Red Cedar: Thuja plicata

Western Hemlock: Tsuga heterophylla

Vine Maple: Acer circinatum

Douglas Maple: Acer glabrum var. douglasii

Sitka Alder: Alnus alnobetula ssp. sinuata

Oregon Boxwood: Paxistima myrsinites

* Small-flowered Woodrush: Luzula divaricata/parviflora

Queen's Cup: Clintonia uniflora - Blue fruits forming.

Avalanche Lily: Erythronium montanum ? - Seeds ripening.

Columbia Lily: Lilium columbianum

False Lily-of-the-valley: Maianthemum dilataum - Fruits forming above 3000'.

False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule - Berries forming.

Star-flowered False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum stellatum - Berries forming.

Rosy Twisted Stalk: Streptopus lanceolatus - Red berries ripening.

Western Wake-robin: Trillium ovatum

White False Hellebore: Veratrum californicum var. caudatum ? (or Veratrum viride ?)

Beargrass: Xerophyllum tenax - 2021 was a good bloom year for this species.

Vanilla Leaf: Achlys triphylla

Baneberry: Actaea rubra - Some berries turning bright red. A few plants have white berries.

Columbia Windflower: Anemone deltoidea

Western Columbine: Aquilegia formosa

Vanilla Leaf: Achlys triphylla

Gold Threads: Coptis laciniata

Cascade Oregongrape: Berberis nervosa - Berries forming.

* Inside-out Flower: Vancouveria hexandra - Still blooming at the highest elevations.

* Bleeding Heart: Dicentra formosa - Fading out of bloom.

Smooth Alumroot: Heuchera glabra

Fringecup: Tellima grandiflora

* Foam Flower: Tiarella trifoliata var.unifoliata

Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. semiintegrifolia?) - Berries ripening.

Goatsbeard: Aruncus dioicus var. acuminatus

Creambush Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor

Baldhip Rose: Rosa gymnocarpa

Dwarf Bramble: Rubus lasiococcus

Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus - Berries ripening.

Salmonberry: Rubus spectabilis - Berries ripening.

Pacific Trailing Blackberry: Rubus ursinus

Cascade Mountain Ash: Sorbus scopulina

White Spiraea: Spiraea betulifolia var. lucida

* Broadleaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius - A few plants in bloom at the base of Three Corner Rock

Pioneer Violet: Viola glabella

Evergreen Violet: Viola sempervirens

* Fireweed: Chamaenerion angustifolium - Beginning to bloom.

Devil's Club: Oploplanax horridum - Red berries forming.

Red-osier Dogwood: Cornus sericea

Bunchberry: Cornus unalaschkensis - Bright orange-red berries forming below.

Slender Wintergreen: Gaultheria ovatifolia

Salal: Gaultheria shallon

Pinesap: Monotropa hypopopitys - Past bloom.

* Pinedrops: Pterospora andromedea

Fools Huckleberry: Rhododendron menziesii (formerly Menziesia ferruginea var. ferruginea)

Black Huckleberry: Vaccinium membranaceum - Dark berries nearly ripe.

Alaska Blueberry: Vaccinium ovalifolium - Blue berries still sour.

Red Huckleberry: Vaccinium parvifolium - Red berries forming.

* Spreading Dogbane: Apocynum androsaemifolium

Broadleaved Starflower: Lysimachia latifolia

Selfheal: Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata

* Common Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata var. miniata - Fading out of bloom.

* Turtleheads: Nothochelone nemorosa

* Sickletop Lousewort: Pediculaaris racemosa

Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus

Fragrant Bedstraw: Galium triflorum

* Twinflower: Linnaea borealis - Fading out of bloom above 3000'

* Round-leaf Bluebell: Campanula rotundifolia - Blooming at the base of Three Corner Rock.

* Scouler's Harebell: Campanula scouleri

* Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea - Beginning to bloom.

Mountain Arnica: Arnica latifolia

Howell's Fleabane: Erigeron howellii

* White-flowered Hawkweed: Hieracium albiflorum

* European Hawkweed: Hieracium lachenalii - Too numerous

* Oxeye Daisy: Leucanthemum vulgare

* Western Rattlesnake Root: Nabalus alatus

Columbia Gorge Groundsel: Packera bolanderi var. harfordii

Mosses, Clubmosses and Spikemosses

Clubmoss: Lycopodium clavatum ?

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Ferns and Fern Allies

Maidenhair Fern: Adiantum aleuticum

Northwestern Lady Fern: Athyrium filix-femina var. cyclosorum

Deer Fern: Blechnum spicant

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Polypody Fern: Polypodium (amorphum or hesperium ?)

Sword Fern: Polystichum munitum

Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum


Animals Seen or Heard Along This Route:

Douglas Squirrel

Bald Eagles - Immature

Band-tailed Pigeon

Dark-eyed Juncos


Paul Slichter