[Shrub-like Members of the Sunflower Family in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]
Columbian Goldenbush, Columbia Goldenweed, Columbian Heath Goldenrod, Gnarled Goldenweed
Ericameria resinosa
Synonym: Haplopappus resinosus
The photo above shows a close-up of a flower head and foliage of Columbia goldenweed as seen on basalt cliffs along Highway 14 just west of Horsethief Butte. Note the resinous appearance of the leaves and bracts.
The
photo at right shows another close-up sideview of the flower head of Columbia goldenweed as seen at Horsethief Butte.......October 7, 2006.
Characteristics:
Columbia goldenweed is a many-branched shrub to 6 dm tall. The
twigs are brittle and resinous. The leaves are hairless or glabrous, resinous,
and primarily lenear. They range from 5- 30 mm in length and 0.5 - 2 mm wide.
The flower heads are either solitary or packed into fairly dense
clusters of flowers at the ends of the branches. The flowerheads consist of
both disk and ray flowers. The ray flowers number from 3 - 7 and are from 3
- 6 mm in length. The ray flowers are usually pale yellow or white. Occasionally
flower heads may lack the ray flowers. The disk flowers number from 11 - 16,
are whitish to pale yellow and are about 5 - 7.5 mm long. While in bloom from
July through October, it is a fairly attractive plant with its dense, shiny
leaves and stems, and mass of flowers.
Habitat:
Columbia goldenweed is found on cliffs and in rock crevices.
It is especially abundant on the near vertical faces of basalt cliffs. It is
a plant of rocky areas within the plains and foothills, but may be found as
high as 6000 feet on the east slopes of the Cascade Mountains.
Range:
Columbia goldenweed is found east of the Cascade crest in Washington
and northern Oregon. Its range extends into central and northern Idaho.
In the Columbia River Gorge it may be found on cliffs above
the river from roughly adjacent to Mosier, OR and then east at elevations between
100'-1800'.
A close-up view of the flower head of Columbia goldenweed with both the disk and ray flowers both easily visible. Horsethief Butte.......October 7, 2006.
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Columbia goldenweed blooming atop basalt outcrops and cliffs above the Crawford Oaks Trailhead at Columbia Hills State Park.........October 2, 2016.
Columbia goldenweed blooming on basalt cliffs and ledges above the Crawford Oaks Trailhead, Columbia Hills State Park..........October 12, 2013.
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The photo at left shows the maturing seed heads of columbia goldenweed observed on basalt cliffs and ledges above the Crawford Oaks Trailhead, Columbia Hills State Park.........November 18, 2017. The photo at right shows blooming
columbia goldenweed observed on basalt cliffs and ledges above the Crawford Oaks Trailhead, Columbia Hills State Park.........October 14, 2018.
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Columbia goldenweed observed in bloom on basalt cliffs and ledges above the Crawford Oaks Trailhead, Columbia Hills State Park.........October 16, 2017.
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Columbia goldenweed in winter dormancy atop basalt outcrops on the benches above the Crawford Oaks Trailhead, Columbia Hills Historical State Park......November 23, 2023.
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The photo at left shows Columbia goldenweed in winter dormancy atop basalt outcrops on the benches above the Crawford Oaks Trailhead, Columbia Hills Historical State Park......December 31, 2022. Columbia goldenweed at right on basalt cliffs east of Lyle, WA. Note that this specimen is not in bloom, and is in fact viewed in mid-April many months before bloom.
Paul Slichter