[Daisies and Fleabanes: The Genus Erigeron in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]
Columbia Gorge Daisy, Gorge Daisy, Gorge Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane
Erigeron oreganus
![Columbia Gorge Daisy, Gorge Daisy, Gorge Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane: Erigeron oreganus](oreganus/erigeronor1.jpg)
Characteristics:
Columbia Gorge daisy is a pretty wildflower of
Columbia River cliffsides. Its herbage is both glandular and loosely sticky-hairy.
The stems are lax, ranging from 5-15 cm long, and arising from a tuft of basal
leaves. The basal leaves are obovate to spatulate, coarsely toothed at the distal
ends. They are up to 9 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. The stem leaves are well-developed
and may be ovate, elliptic or lanceolate in shape, from 4 cm long to 1 cm wide.
The inflorescence is leafy, consisting of one to
several heads. The disks are 9-13 mm wide, surrounded by 30-60 white, pink,
or bluish rays. Individual rays are 5-8 mm long. The involucres are 5-7 mm tall,
with loose, thin, and green bracts.
Habitat:
Columbia Gorge daisy is usually found on moist
shady cliffs and ledges.
Range:
Columbia Gorge daisy is only found in the Columbia
River Gorge between the elevations of 100'-1200' between Crown Pt and Mosier,
OR. It is primarily found on the Oregon side of the river, which has a moister,
shadier habitat.
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- ![Columbia Gorge Daisy, Gorge Daisy, Gorge Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane: Erigeron oreganus](oreganus/erigeronor3.jpg)
The photo above shows a large cluster of Columbia
Gorge daisy growing from a crack in a shear cliff in the Columbia River Gorge.........May
21, 2005.
![Habitat of Columbia Gorge Daisy, Gorge Daisy, Gorge Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane: Erigeron oreganus](oreganus/EROR2_Habitat04-03-2015.jpg)
The cliff-side habitat of Columbia Gorge daisy as seen in eastern Hood River County, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.........April 3, 2015.
![Columbia Gorge Daisy, Gorge Daisy, Gorge Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane: Erigeron oreganus](oreganus/erigeronoreganus3a.jpg)
Columbia Gorge daisy as seen near Elowah Falls in the western Columbia River Gorge.........July 14, 2006.
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- ![Columbia Gorge Daisy, Gorge Daisy, Gorge Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane: Erigeron oreganus](oreganus/oreganus3a.jpg)
Columbia Gorge daisy in bud on shear cliffs in the western Columbia River Gorge..........May 30, 2009 (photos at left and center) and May 20, 2009 (photo at right).
- ![Habitat of Columbia Gorge Daisy, Gorge Daisy, Gorge Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane: Erigeron oreganus](oreganus/oreganus10-01-2015b.jpg)
Columbia Gorge daisy blooming on shear cliffs in the western Columbia River Gorge..........October 1, 2015.
![Tuft of basal leaves of Columbia Gorge Daisy, Gorge Daisy, Gorge Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane: Erigeron oreganus](oreganus/oreganus04-22-2015.jpg)
Columbia Gorge daisy in bud on shear cliffs in the western Columbia River Gorge..........April 22, 2015.
Paul Slichter