Natural History Wanderings

Oregon Wildflowers has many new wildflower reports

• Tryon Creek State Park 4/6/15 There is unfortunately not much blooming anymore at Tryon Creek. It appears the trilium are mostly past peak and there are actually very few of them to see throughout the park. Some limited salmonberry can be seen too but mostly it appears the bloom in this park came early and went already.
• Memaloose Hills 4/5/15 The Northwestern Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza deltoidea) is UBIQUITOUS, especially on the slopes of Chatfield Hill and Marsh Hill. That alone should be enough reason for you to visit in the very near future!
  Also blooming are: profuse amounts of Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia grandiflora) and Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora), Naked Broomrape (Orobanche uniflora), Harsh Paintbrush (Castilleja hispida), Upland Larkspur (Delphinium nuttallianum), Western Buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis), Smooth Prairie Star (Lithophragma glabra), Northwestern Saxifrage (Saxifraga integrifolia), Miners Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), Manroot (Marah oreganus), Ball-Head Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii), American Vetch (Vicia americana), Barestem Desert Parsley (Lomatium nudicaule), Suksdorf’s Desert Parsley (Lomatium suksdorfii), scattered Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon sp.), Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria affinis) especially as you descend toward the stream, Big-head clover (Trifolium macrocephalum), Bicolor Triteleia (Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii), and occasional Meadow Death Camas (Zigadenus venenosus) on Chatfield Hill.

• Moiser Plateau 4/5/15 Northwestern Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza deltoidea) is at its peak!
  Also blooming are: Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora), Western Buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis), Smooth Prairie Star (Lithophragma glabra), Northwestern Saxifrage (Saxifraga integrifolia), Miners Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), Manroot (Marah oreganus), Slender Popcorn Flower (Plagiobothrys tenellus), and Columbia Gorge Lupine (Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus).
• Catherine Creek 4/4/15 (This report is for the Arch Loop.) The predominant flowers are currently Bicolor Triteleia (Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii), Meadow Death Camas (Zigadenus venenosus) (at its peak or slightly after), and Common Camas (Camassia quamash) (still on the way).
• There are a wide variety of other flowers in bloom, including the following: Smooth prairie star (Lithophragma glabrum); Gold star (Crocidium multicaule); Western saxifrage (Saxifraga occidentalis); Manroot (Marah oreganus), Barestem Desert Parsley (Lomatium nudicaule), Suksdorf’s Desert Parsley (Lomatium suksdorfii), Pungent Desert Parsley (Lomatium grayii); Western Buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis); Miners Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata); Rigid Fiddleneck (Amsinckia retrorsa); and Tarweed Fiddleneck (Amsinckia lycopsoides).
  The following were seen blooming at higher elevations (climbing beyond the old corral and onto the plateau above the arch): Rough Wallflower (Erysimum capitatum); Ballhead waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii); Big-head clover (Trifolium macrocephalum); Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria affinis), small-flowered blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora); Poet’s Shooting Star (Dodecatheon poeticum); Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sp.); Naked Broomrape (Orobanche uniflora); Weak-stem cryptantha (Cryptantha flaccida); Chickweed Monkeyflower (Mimulus alsinoides); and lots of Rosy Plectritis (Plectritis congesta).
  Grass widows and yellow bells are finished for the season.
• Lyle Cherry Orchard 4/4/15 There is plenty of Bicolor Tritelia (Tritelia grandiflora var. howellii). Also blooming are: Lupine (Lupinus sp.), Panicled Death Camas (Zigadenus paniculatus), Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sp.), Fiddleneck (Amsinckia retrorsa), Wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), and others
• Memaloose Hills 4/4/15 Lots of balsamroot was blooming along with small numbers of other flowers.
• Pilot Rock trailhead – Jackson County 4/4/15 Made a quick trip up to the Pilot Rock trailhead and saw the following in bloom: Erythronium klamathense, Fritillaria pudica, Astragalus whitneyi, Lomatium triternatum, L. utriculatum, L. Macrocarpum, Castilleja applegatei, Phoenicaulis cherianthoides, Phlox diffusa and Delphinium nuttalianum. In addition, there were quite a few Hesperochiron pumilus and Frasera albicaulis in bud. It’s worth noting that there was no snow at all up there. Also – both the Erythronium and Fritillaria were about half the height they were when I saw them up there around this time last year.
• The Dales Mountain Ranch 4/4/15 (NOTE: This report is for the lower loop, between the Crawford Oaks and Dalles Mountain Ranch trailheads.) Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) is at its peak. Other flowers now blooming include: Columbia Gorge Broad-Leaf Lupine (Lupinus latifolius), Barestem Desert Parsley (Lomatium nudicaule), Suksdorf’s Desert Parsley (Lomatium suksdorfii), Gray’s desert parsley (Lomatium grayii), Rigid Fiddleneck (Amsinckia retrorsa), Fleabane (Erigeron sp.), Weak stem cryptantha (Cryptantha flaccida), Ballhead waterleaf (Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii), Big-head clover (Trifolium macrocephalum), small-flowered blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora), Prairie Star (Lithophragma parviflora), and lots of Bicolor Triteleia (Triteleia grandiflora var. howellii).

See older reports at Oregon Wildflowers