Natural History Wanderings

Oregon Wildflowers has the following new wildflower reports

Tom McCall Nature Preserve 4/3/15  Lots of balsamroot are blooming both at the Rowena Crest parking lot and in the lower trail (the one that’s open out to the point). Still a bit longer yet for more than that to be blooming out.

The Dales Mountain Ranch 4/3/5/15 The lower parts of the ranch are at peak, or appear to be at peak, right now as of this writing. Vast carpets of balsamroot and lupine can be seen particularly around the old ranch buildings and the gravel road, particularly from where the old buildings are and heading north from there around the side of the mountain. Also balsamroot appear to be at peak on the middle slopes up and past the gated trailhead to Stacker Butte. The blooms peter out just up from there and the upper stretches don’t have much of anything as of this writing.

Camass Natural Area 4/1/15 Common Camas (Camassia quamash) is starting to bloom. Other species now blooming include Rosy plectritis (Plectritis congesta) and Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia grandiflora). Oregon fawn lily (Erythronium oregonum) and Western trillium (Trillium ovatum) are still in bloom but past their peak.

Basket Slough National Wildlife Refuge 3/28/15 It is still early, but there are copious amounts of Western Buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis) in bloom. Also blooming are: Oregon Fawn Lily (Erythronium oregonum), Manroot (Marah oreganus), Western Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia var. semiintegrifolia), and a few patches of Henderson’s Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii) near the viewpoint