
Cathedral Hills Park, Grants Pass, OR 3/2022.
When we think of Pedicularis, we think of alpine plants like Elephant head and the various Louseworts we find in the moist meadows of Mt Rainier and the high Cascades. (more…)
May 10, 2022 | Categories: April, broomrape, California, dry open woods, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, orange/red, Oregon, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Uncategorized | Tags: blm, botanizing, flower, grants pass, southern Oregon, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Along the Trask River, Tillamook County, OR, 7/2020.
Yay! After spending years at the top of our most wanted list, we finally tracked down this supposedly common orchid, but only after nearly walking by large groups of them twice. (more…)
July 14, 2020 | Categories: aquatic, Coastal, July, June, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, May, Mid Elevation, orange/red, orchid, Oregon, Willamette Valley, yellow | Tags: flower, hiking, Oregon Coast, pacific northwest, wildflower | 1 Comment

Hamilton Mountain Trail, Columbia Gorge, WA, 4/2015.
We find coral roots, except for this striped species, faithful companions that reward those that closely scan the pine-needle floors throughout the wilderness areas of the Pacific Northwest. (more…)
July 23, 2019 | Categories: Cascades, Columbia Gorge West, July, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Olympics, orange/red, orchid, Oregon, pink, saprophytic/mycotrophic, SE Alaska, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Willamette Valley | Tags: Columbia Gorge, hetrotrophic, macrotrophic, mycotrophic, saphyrophyte, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Ridgefield Wildlife Preserve, WA, 9/2015.
This rustic, but pretty, flower is common to much of North America. (more…)
October 9, 2017 | Categories: Balsam, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, orange/red, Oregon, roadsides/disturbed areas, September, Washington, Willamette Valley | Tags: flower, pacific northwest, Wildflowers | 1 Comment

Major Creek Road, Columbia Gorge, WA. 5/2017.
This stalk of small flowers stands out for its unusual salmon color and contrasting blue pollen. It grows in dry sandy soils west of the Continental Divide. (more…)
May 31, 2017 | Categories: All Northwest, dry open woods, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, July, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, orange/red, phlox, Washington, white | Tags: flower, Major Creek Road, wildflower | 1 Comment

Saddle Mountain Trail, Saddle Mountain State Natural Area, OR, 6/2015.
We were shocked and disappointed that not one of our many wildflower guides featured this native flowering shrub. (more…)
June 23, 2015 | Categories: Coastal, heath, July, Low Elevation, orange/red, Oregon, Unique to Northwest, Washington | Tags: flower, Saddle Mountain, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Near Memaloose Viewpoint, Columbia Gorge, OR, 5/2014.
The many different species of this genus of the figwort family are notoriously hard to distinguish from one another, even for botanists. (more…)
May 13, 2015 | Categories: All Northwest, figwort / lousewort, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, orange/red, Oregon, rocky slopes | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Near Eight-Dollar Mountain, Selma, OR, 4/2015.
The only carnivorous plant native to the west coast. (more…)
April 13, 2015 | Categories: Coastal, March, marsh wetland/water's edge, orange/red, Oregon, Pitcher plant, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, yellow | Tags: carnivorous, Eight Dollar Mountain, flower, serpentine, Wildflowers | 1 Comment

McCord Creek Falls, Columbia Gorge, OR, 4/2014.
This is one of the easier paintbrush varieties to identify (more…)
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-121.981027
March 1, 2015 | Categories: Alpine, August, Cascades, Columbia Gorge West, figwort / lousewort, Mid Elevation, orange/red, Oregon, rocky slopes, Unique to Northwest | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, McCord Creek Falls, Wildflowers | 1 Comment

South Prairie Road, Columbia Gorge, WA, 7/2014.
Sometimes called “Sugarstick” or “Barber’s Pole”; this is certainly one of the odder-looking plants we’ve come across. (more…)
December 26, 2014 | Categories: Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, heath, June, orange/red, saprophytic/mycotrophic, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, white | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, saprophytic/mycotrophic, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Viewpoint Mike Trail, Lost Creek Lake, OR, 4/2018.
Recognizably similar to its relatives in the Fritillaria family, Checker Lily and Yellow Bells, (more…)
42.188697
-122.716025
May 26, 2014 | Categories: April, lily, Low Elevation, orange/red, Oregon, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: flower, Lithia Park, Wildflowers | 2 Comments

Cascade Head Nature Preserve, OR, 4/2014.
This odd-looking member of the saxifrage family occurs almost exclusively in the western portion of the Northwest U.S. and Canada. (more…)
May 12, 2014 | Categories: Cascades, Coastal, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, Low Elevation, May, orange/red, Oregon, raceme, saxifrage, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: Cascade Head, flower, Wildflowers | 1 Comment

Near Easy Pass, North Cascades NP, WA 8/2012.
This uncommon (and uncommonly modest) lily has a nodding raceme of bells rising from grassy onion-like leaves. (more…)
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-120.843049
July 20, 2013 | Categories: Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, July, lily, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, Mid Elevation, orange/red, raceme, shaded forests, Unique to Northwest | Tags: Easy Pass, flower, North Cascades National Park, Wildflowers | 1 Comment

Dog Mountain, Columbia Gorge, WA, 5/2013.
On a May climb up Dog Mountain, perhaps the classic wildflower hike in the Columbia Gorge, this flowering vine took the prize for the brightest-colored flower we saw. (more…)
45.720118
-121.705075
June 18, 2013 | Categories: All Northwest, dry open woods, honeysuckle, June, Low Elevation, orange/red, Oregon, Washington | Tags: Columbia Gorge, Dog Mountain, flower, Wildflowers | 1 Comment

Catherine Creek Trail, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA. 4/2013.
Named after the Russian-German naturalist and surgeon, Johann Friedrich von Eschsch0ltz. Spanish explorers on the California coast called this flower ‘Copa de Oro’ — cup of gold. The native range of the poppy encompasses the western states and Mexico, and it is the state flower of California, where one sees spectacular displays over entire hills and valleys in the spring. Native Americans used the leaves medicinally. It contains a different class of alkaloids than opium poppies, but its extract is said to have a mild opiate effect when smoked.
(more…)
45.707865
-121.376871
May 3, 2013 | Categories: April, Cascades, Coastal, Coastal, grasslands/prarie, Low Elevation, medicinal, orange/red, poppy, Washington, yellow | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Park Creek Pass, North Cascades N.P., WA, 8/2012.
“Like the Common Dandelion, this plant can be used for salads, potherbs, tea, and wine.” -G. Scotter & H. Flygare: Wildflowers of the Canadian Rockies.
August 26, 2012 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, aster/composite, August, Cascades, edible, July, marsh wetland/water's edge, Mid Elevation, orange/red, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington | Tags: flower, North Cascades National Park, Orange Dandelion, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Bull of the Woods W.A., Oregon, 7/2012.
This plant is rare for both its beauty and the fact that it is biennial, i.e. it takes two years to produce flowers, and then dies. Also known as foxfire, it is a hummingbird favorite.
(more…)
44.885955
-122.087300
July 20, 2012 | Categories: alpine/subalpine meadow, Cascades, July, June, Mid Elevation, orange/red, Oregon, phlox, rocky slopes, rosette leaf | Tags: Bull of the Woods, flower, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Red Earth Trail, Banff N.P., Alberta, Canada 7/2011.
As the common name suggests, the fruits are not edible. The latin name comes from Archibald Menzies, a surgeon and naturalist with Vancouver’s Pacific Coast expedition (1790-95), an early botanist of pacific northwest plants.
51.496846
-115.928056
August 8, 2011 | Categories: Alberta, Cascades, Coastal, dry open woods, heath, July, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, orange/red | Tags: Banff, flower, Red Earth Trail, Wildflowers | 1 Comment
Banff N.P., Alberta, Canada. 7/2011.
info and another photo…
51.496846
-115.928056
July 27, 2011 | Categories: Alberta, All Northwest, Alpine, honeysuckle, July, Low Elevation, orange/red, Washington, yellow | Tags: Banff, flower, North Cascades National Park, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Silver Star Mountain, Columbia Gorge, WA, 6/2014.
There’s no mistaking the unique sculptural Columbine for any other mountain flower. It’s a good day when you find these elegant beauties gracing a trail en mass. (more…)
41.578745
-123.091986
March 30, 2011 | Categories: All Northwest, alpine/subalpine meadow, buttercup, California, July, June, Mid Elevation, orange/red, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California | Tags: flower, Marble Mountains, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Upper Thunder Basin, North Cascades N.P., WA, 8/2012.
(more…)
48.533246
-120.993673
March 29, 2011 | Categories: alpine/subalpine meadow, figwort / lousewort, orange/red, Oregon | Tags: flower, indian paintbrush, Mt. Hood, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Iron Mountain Trail, Willamette National Forest, OR, 7/2014.
So many memories of wonderful trails laced with the tall, leggy tiger lily blooms waving with the breeze, ahh……. (more…)
45.409284
-121.697854
March 29, 2011 | Categories: All Northwest, lily, Mid Elevation, orange/red, Oregon, shaded forests, Unique to Northwest | Tags: flower, Mt. Hood, Wildflowers | Leave a comment