Wildflower bloom in the eastern Columbia River Gorge is starting to become somewhat limited to areas with moisture, either riparian habitats, those on north-facing slopes, or at higher altitudes on the ridgetops. Grasses are becoming browner with interesting seed heads, and many of the wildflowers now have beautiful seed pods.
Those plants that bloom during the summer, need dry conditions and probably lots of sunshine. They typically are hairy plants, often silver or silvery-blue in color to help retard moisture loss and reflect sunlight, hence lowering their temperature.
Flower bloom should again begin to rise in late summer into fall as the shrubby members of the sunflower family begin to bloom. Those areas with sagebrush or goldenweed, or rabbitbrush will be ablaze with yellow at that time!
Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum
Ball-head Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum
Green-banded Mariposa Lily: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus
Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum
Heart-leaf Buckwheat (yellow forms): Eriogonum compositum var. compositum
Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum- Just commencing bloom.
Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum
Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor
Western Burnet: Poteridium occidentale
Rabbit's-foot Clover: Trifolium arvense
Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus
Hairy Vetch: Vicia villosa
Deerbrush: Ceanothus integerrimus
Common St. John's Wort: Hypericum perforatum
Large-flowered Collomia: Collomia grandiflora
Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida
Buckhorn Plantain: Plantago lanceolata
Blue Elderberry: Sambuccus mexicana ssp. cerulea
Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus
Yarrow: Achillea millefolium
Large-flowered Agoseris: Agoseris grandiflora
Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana x deltoidea ?
Bachelor's Button: Centaurea cyanus
Woolly Sunflower: Eriophyllum lanatum (var. integrifolium ?)
Rayless Goldenweed: Pyrrocoma carthamoides var. carthamoides
Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri
Yellow Salsify: Tragopogon dubius