Natural History Wanderings

Oregon Wildflowers reports

Horse Rock Ridge 5/9/15
Horse Rock Ridge is in bloom!

The predominant flower blooming in the forest is Fairyslipper (Calypso bulbosa), which begins immediately after the fence. Other forest flowers now blooming include: Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), Oregon Wood Sorrel (Oxalis oregana), Woods Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Western Starflower (Trientalis latifolia), a few Spotted Coralroot (Corallorrhiza maculata), several remaining Western Trillium (Trillium ovatum), and a single Yellowleaf Iris (Iris chrysophylla) with more on the way.

The meadows and hillsides are mostly yellow thanks to profuse amounts of Western Buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis) and Yellow Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus). There are a wide variety of other flowers in bloom, including: Rosy Plectritis (Plectritis congesta), Oregon Fawn Lily (Erythronium oregonum), small-flowered blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora), Menzies’ Larkspur (Delphinium menziesii), Henderson’s Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii), Meadow Death Camas (Zigadenus venenosus), Spring Gold (Lomatium utriculatum), Harsh Paintbrush (Castilleja hispida), Nuttall’s Saxifrage (Saxifraga nuttallii), Western Saxifrage (Saxifraga occidentalis), Annual Agoseris (Agoseris heterophylla), Blue Flax (Linum lewisii), Olympic Onion (Allium crenulatum), Slender Sandwort (Minuartia tenella), Cut-leaf Daisy (Erigeron compositus), Western Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), large-flowered blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia grandiflora). Look for some Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria affinis) next to the trail as you descend past the first set of rock outcrops. Also watch for tiny Chickweed Monkeyflower (Mimulus alsinoides) in seeps.

Tom McCall Nature Preserve 5/8/15
The balsamroot and lupine at lower levels are pretty much done, but at higher elevations on the Tom McCall Point Trail there are still good patches of flowers – paintbrush, some lupine, and lots of balsamroot that are generally past peak but still good.

Painted Hills Unit John Day Fossil Beds 5/7/15
The golden bee plant (Cleome platycarpa) and chaenactis (Chaenactis douglasii) on the Painted Hills themselves are in bloom, covering the sides in varying degrees. Very pretty and well worth checking out. There’s not much else blooming as of this report, some small flowers here & there but nothing nearly as remarkable as the 2 yellow ones.

Memaloose Hills 5/6/15
Unfortunately the wildflowers are mostly all gone at the time of this report. They were great in mid-late April, fields and fields of balsamroot, plus lots of lupine and paintbrush and other flowers.

Pacific Northwest Wildflowers reports

May 7, 2015: The summit meadows of Dog Mountain are still looking good for masses of balsamroot bloom, but bloom there will soon diminish with the unseasonably dry and warm weather.