Natural History Wanderings

Oregon Wildflowers  has three  new reports:

The Dalles Ranch 4/19/14:

The Northwest Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza deltoidea) is at its peak, not only at The Dalles Mountain Ranch but along the road and throughout Columbia Hills State Park. The hills are covered with swaths of yellow!

The Columbia Gorge Lupine (Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianii) is blooming along the road, but has not really kicked in within the State Park boundaries.

Also blooming are: Yakima Milk-vetch (Astragalus reventiformis), Slender Popcorn Flower (Plagiobothrys tenellus), Pungent Desert Parsley (Lomatium grayi), Slender-Fruited Desert Parsley (Lomatium leptocarpum), Bare-stem Desert Parsley (Lomatium nudicaule), Prairie Star (Lithophragma sp.).

Blooming at higher elevatons toward Stacker Butte are: Harsh Paintbrush (Castilleja hispida), Hood’s Phlox (Phlox hoodii), Upland Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum), and Lance-leaf Spring Beauty (Claytonia lanceolata).

Rowena Plateau 4/19/14:

The balsamroot (Balsamorhiza deltoidea) is blooming well — in fact, it seems a week or two ahead of schedule this year. However, there is no lupine (Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianii) in bloom yet. My guess is that, as is often the case at this location, the lupine will be peaking as the balsamroot is fading.

Other flowers now blooming include: Upland Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum), Fiddleneck (Amsinckia sp.), Bare-stem Desert Parsley (Lomatium nudicaule), Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora), Bi-colored Cluster Lily (Triteleia grandiflora ssp. howellii), Manroot (Marah oreganus), Pungent Desert Parsley(Lomatium grayi), and Small-flowered Prairie Star (Lithophragma parviflora).

Memaloose Hills 4/19/14

There are copious amounts of many wildflowers blooming at this location, and there are NOT copious numbers of hikers. It is well worth visiting in the next week if you can manage it.
Northwestern Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza deltoidea), Miners Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria lanceolata), Harsh Paintbrush (Castilleja hispida), Naked Broomrape Orobanche uniflora var. purpurea), Manroot (Marah oreganus), Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora), Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia grandiflora), Upland Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum), Western Buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis), Shining Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium), Smooth Prairie Star (Lithophragma glabra), Small-flowered Prairie Star (Lithophragma parviflora), Northwestern Saxifrage (Saxifraga integrifolia), Columbia Gorge Broad-leaf Lupine (Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianii), Popcorn Flower (Plagiobothrys sp.), and False Agoseris (Nothocalais troximoides).

Go to Oregon Wildflowers to see photo links and older reports