Natural History Wanderings

Oregon Wildflowers has a new report for July 1, 2014 for Silver Star Mountain

The annual kaleidoscopic display at Silver Star Mountain has begun! I estimate that viewing conditions should be excellent for the next two weeks, if not longer.

Varieties currently blooming along the Ed's Trail loop include: Inside-Out Flower (Vancouveria hexandra), Candyflower (Claytonia sibirica), Western bistort (Polygonum bistortoides), Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa), Indian paintbrush (Castilleja miniata), Mountain golden-pea (Thermopsis montana), Long-beaked hawkweed (Hieracium longiberbe), Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana), Oregon sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum), Cascade aster (Aster ledophyllus), Woodland penstemon (Nothochelone nemorosa), Cardwell's penstemon (Penstemon cardwellii), Cliff penstemon (Penstemon rupicola),

Nuttall's larkspur (Delphinium nuttallii), Rosy spiraea (Spiraea splendens), Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis), Oregon iris (Iris tenax), Tiger lily (Lilium columbianum), Small-flowered paintbrush (Castilleja parviflora), Pacific Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa), Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), Mountain Wallflower (Erysimum arenicola), Subalpine mariposa lily (Calochortus subalpinus), Spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa), Columbia Lewisia (Lewisia columbiana) in rocky areas, Western Sweetvetch (Hedysarum occidentale), Rusty Saxifrage (Saxifraga ferruginea), and some Clasping Twisted Stalk (Streptopus amplexifolius) near the rock face along Ed’s Trail.

In addition to the preceding list, the following are blooming between the upper trail junction and the summit: Western serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), Queen's cup (Clintonia uniflora), Evergreen Violet (Viola sempervirens), and lots of Coiled-Beak Lousewort (Pedicularis contorta).

There are many Explorer's Gentian (Gentiana calycosa) ready to open, but I did not see any in bloom yet.

Although there are a good number of Tiger Lilies currently blooming, there are hundreds more on the verge of opening.

Because last year was a banner year for Bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax), there are only a few patches of it this year, mostly along higher elevations of Ed’s Trail and at the summit.