Natural History Wanderings

Oregon Wildflowers has three new posts

Eagle Creek – Columbia River Gorge.  Nearly everything listed in my  4/25 report (click read below more to see 4/25 report)  is still blooming. In particular, Rosy plectritis (Plecritis congesta) is at its peak, as is Valerian. Larkspur is starting to fade. Blue-Eyed Mary (Collinsia sp.) still looks good.

She also noted White Shooting Star (Dodecatheon dentatum) blooming at 7.5 Mile Camp, down the main path from the camp to the creek approximately four feet from the water in a seep.

Ruckel Creek Trail – Columbia River Gorge. The wildflowers have started blooming in the hanging meadows. Lots of shooting stars and others.

Saddle Mt. – Northern Oregon Coast. A number of wildflowers are blooming along the trail and at higher elevations, including Pacific Bleeding Hearts, Shooting Stars, Paintbrush, and Rough Wallflower.

 

Eagle Creek – Columbia River Gorge  4/25 report

Blooming in the open areas: Fringecup (Tellima grandiflora), Rusty Saxifrage (Saxifraga ferruginea), Common Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus), Small-Flowered Blue-Eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora), Large-Flowered Blue-Eyed Mary (Collinsia grandiflora), Western Meadowrue (Thalictrum occidentale), Checker Lily (Fritillaria affinis), Bigroot (Marah oreganus), Naked Broomrape (Orobanche uniflora), and Rosy Plectritis (Plectritis congesta).

Blooming in shaded/forested areas: Wood Violet (Viola glabella), Pacific Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa), Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), Hooker`s Fairybells (Disporum hookeri), Candyflower (Claytonia sibirica), False Solomon`s Seal (Maianthemum racemosum), Big-Leaf Sandwort (Moehringia macrophylla), Piggy-Back Plant (Tolmiea menziesii), and Pacific Starflower (Trientalis borealis ssp. latifolia). I also saw a few Fairyslipper (Calypso bulbosa).

Blooming on the cliffs: Northwestern Saxifrage (Saxifraga integrifolia), Merten`s Saxifrage (Saxifraga mertensiana), Rusty Saxifrage (Saxifraga ferruginea), Chickweed Monkeyflower (Mimulus alsinoides), Common Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus), and lots of Few-Flowered Shooting Star (Dodecatheon pulchellum). Most of the latter were past peak, but there were still a few dozen that looked good.

Blooming on the slopes alongside the cliff-side trail sections: profuse amounts of Rosy Plectritis (Plectritis congesta) and Rockslide Larkspur (Delphinium glareosum). Those two continue beyond the cliff-side trail sections, and are joined by Martindale`s Desert Parsley (Lomatium martindalei), Common Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus), Small-flowered Prairie Stars (Lithophragma parviflorum), Gold Stars (Crocidium multicaule), more Large-Flowered Blue-Eyed Mary (Collinsia grandiflora), and Large-Leaf Avens (Geum macrophyllum).

I also saw a good amount of Long-tailed Ginger (Asarum caudatum) blooming along the spur trail to the Metlako Falls viewpoint.