Eight Mile Creek Loop, Mt. Hood National Forest, OR, 6/2020.
This small and rather plain member of the rose family, also known as “Pink Pinwheels”, was prevalent in a small, sunny meadow near the trailhead on a recent hike on the east side of Mt. Hood. (more…)
July 1, 2020 | Categories: California, Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, July, June, Mid Elevation, pink, rose, Southern Oregon / Northern California | Tags: Fivemile Butte Lookout, Flowers, hiking, pacific northwest, wildflower | Leave a comment
Rowena Plateau, Tom McCall Preserve, Columbia Gorge, OR, 7/2015
Milkweeds, genus Asclepias, are often plain, overlooked, and rarely appear in our wildflower reference guides, but A. fascicularis, in particular is critical to the survival of Monarch butterflies! (more…)
June 24, 2020 | Categories: Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, July, June, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, Oregon, pink, Southern Oregon / Northern California, umbel, white | Tags: butterflies, flower, hiking, pacific northwest, pollinators, tom McCall, wildflower | Leave a comment
Dalles Mountain Road, Columbia Gorge, WA, 4/2014.
Unlike the phlox we commonly see carpeting gravelly windswept mountain passes, the p. speciosa variety is a taller plant found in open woods and meadows at low elevation , often mixed with other grassland flowers. (more…)
June 8, 2020 | Categories: Columbia Gorge East, dry open woods, East of Cascades, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, Low Elevation, May, Oregon, phlox, pink, purple/blue, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington | Tags: botanizing, Columbia Gorge, flower, hiking, wildflower | Leave a comment
Weldon Wagon Road Trail, Klickitat County, WA .5/2020.
This native flowering plant is one we often see on spring hikes in the Columbia River Gorge, (more…)
May 25, 2020 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, Cascades, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, grasslands/prarie, June, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, pink, sandalwood, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington, white | Tags: botanizing, Flowers, hiking, klickitat, northwest, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Lyle Cherry Orchard Trailhead, Columbia Gorge, WA, 4/2016.
This early bloomer is only found in dry rocky sites at lower and middle elevations. In fact, most of the photos we’ve seen of this uncommon plant have it springing directly from a rock face. (more…)
January 3, 2020 | Categories: Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, June, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, mustard, pink, raceme, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, Washington, white | Tags: cherry orchard, Columbia Gorge, dry steppe, flower, wildflower | Leave a comment
We found this guy holding on amidst alpine scree and snow near the crest of central Oregon’s Three Fingered Jack this summer. (more…)
November 5, 2019 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, August, borage, Cascades, Columbia Gorge East, dry open woods, East of Cascades, grasslands/prarie, July, June, Mid Elevation, Olympics, Oregon, pink, rocky slopes, SE Alaska, Southern Oregon / Northern California, white | Tags: flower, Mt. Jefferson Wilderness, Mt. Rainier, three fingered jack, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Pacific Crest Trail, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, OR, 7/2019.
At one point in the spectacular Hobart Bluff-Soda Mountain section of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, we found the trailside covered in these pretty Owl’s clovers we had never seen before. (more…)
August 20, 2019 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, August, broomrape, July, Mid Elevation, Oregon, pink, purple/blue, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: flower, hiking, pacific crest trail, pacific northwest, wildflower | Leave a comment
Tire Mountain, Willamette National Forest, OR, 7/2019.
Often seen growing amid browning grasses from drying soil, this lovely flower gets its common name from the fact that it appears as many spring blooms are dying back, often carpeting full hillsides. (more…)
July 30, 2019 | Categories: Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, July, June, Low Elevation, pink, SE Alaska, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, Washington, Willamette Valley | Tags: clarkia, flower, godetia, Hamilton Mountain, tire mountain, wildflower | Leave a 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
Willow Creek Natural Area, Eugene, OR, 5/2016.
For Valentine’s Day, we’re posting our first of several native roses from our region, (more…)
February 14, 2019 | Categories: Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, dry open woods, edible, fragrant, June, Low Elevation, medicinal, Olympics, Oregon, pink, rose, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington, Willamette Valley | Tags: flower, Wildflowers | 1 Comment
The Varied-leaf Collomia is a much smaller sibling to the previously-posted Grandiflora collomia. Although their tiny sweet pink flowers (more…)
February 10, 2019 | Categories: Cascades, Columbia Gorge West, June, Low Elevation, May, Olympics, Oregon, phlox, pink, roadsides/disturbed areas, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, Washington | Tags: coldwater lake, flower, mt st helens, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Horseshoe Basin, Pasayten Wilderness, WA, 7/2016.
In Washington’s Mt. Baker area, we stumbled upon this gentian, a less common variety within the pacific northwest (more…)
January 6, 2019 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, August, Cascades, East of Cascades, gentian, marsh wetland/water's edge, medicinal, Olympics, pink, SE Alaska, Washington | Tags: bitters, flower, moxie, mt baker | 1 Comment
Umtanum Ridge Trail, Yakima River Canyon (BLM), WA 6/2018.
The exquisite sagebrush mariposa lily, the largest in size of the many calochortus, (more…)
June 25, 2018 | Categories: Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, July, lily, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, pink, Unique to Northwest, Washington | Tags: flower, Saddle Mountains, Wenas Wildlife Area, wildflower | Leave a comment
Illinois River Trail, Kalmiopsis Wilderness, OR, 3/2018.
It’s hard to believe that this plant was unknown until Portland botanist Lilla Leach and her husband discovered it in 1930 (more…)
April 2, 2018 | Categories: April, heath, Low Elevation, Oregon, pink, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: Flowers, hiking, illinois river, Illinois River Trail, leach, serpentine, siskiyou, Wildflowers | 2 Comments
Upper Royal Basin, Olympic National Park, WA, 7/2016.
In moist meadows or forests you will often see these odd looking plants. (more…)
February 4, 2018 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, buttercup, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, July, June, marsh wetland/water's edge, Mid Elevation, Olympics, pink, raceme, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, Washington | Tags: Buckhorn Wilderness, dioecious, flower, marmot pass, royal basin, wildflower | 1 Comment
Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Dallas, OR, 5/2017.
This low elevation west-side species of Calochortus is notable for the extreme hairiness inside the flower. More than other Mariposa lilies (“butterfly” in spanish), (more…)
September 24, 2017 | Categories: alpine/subalpine meadow, Coastal, Coastal, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, lily, Low Elevation, May, Oregon, pink, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, white, Willamette Valley | Tags: Baskett Slough, Dallas, Flowers, kruckeberg, mariposa, onps, Oregon, wildflower | Leave a comment
Tygh Creek Trail, Badger Creek Wilderness Area, OR, 6/2017
The Diamond or Common clarkia, showed up near its close relative the Elkhorns Clarkia,
(more…)
August 31, 2017 | Categories: Cascades, Columbia Gorge West, East of Cascades, evening primrose/willowherb, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Oregon, pink, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Willamette Valley | Tags: Buckhorn Wilderness, flower, tygh creek, wildflower | Leave a comment
Tygh Creek Trail, Badger Creek Wilderness, OR, 6/2017.
After seeing these beauties in books (the latin Pulchella means beautiful), we’d long dreamed of finding them in the wild. (more…)
August 17, 2017 | Categories: dry open woods, East of Cascades, evening primrose/willowherb, June, Oregon, pink, rocky slopes, Unique to Northwest | Tags: Badger Creek, flower, tygh creek, wildflower, william clark | 1 Comment
Cone Peak Trail, Willamette National Forest, OR, 6/2017.
Spring Beauties are part of a group of plants sometimes called “spring ephemerals”, also including Blue-Eyed Grass, that harness the insulating properties of winter snowfall to send a shoot up from their underground bulb through the cold wet soil, during winter (more…)
July 21, 2017 | Categories: All Northwest, Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, edible, June, Mid Elevation, Oregon, pink, purslane, shaded forests | Tags: Flowers, Iron Mountain, pacific northwest, Wildflowers | 2 Comments
Royal Lake Campground, Olympic NP, 7/2016.
Last July we found a single specimen (above) of this uncommon primrose peeking out from among the rocks near Royal Lake Campground. One year later, and a few miles west, (more…)
July 15, 2017 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, July, pink, primrose, rocky slopes, Unique to Northwest, Washington | Tags: Buckhorn Wilderness, flower, marmot pass, Olympic National Park, pacific northwest, royal basin, royal lake, wildflower | Leave a comment
Crescent Mountain Trail, Willamette National Forest, OR, 6/2017.
To find these unique and delicate members of the bleeding heart family, you have to be looking for them. (more…)
June 18, 2017 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, East of Cascades, fumitory, June, Mid Elevation, Oregon, pink, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, white | Tags: Flowers, Wildflowers | 1 Comment
Chiwaukum Creek Trail, Wenatchee NF, WA, 5/2017.
The largest member of the Lewisia family grows at low and mid-elevations almost exclusively in the Wenatchee Mountains in central Washington. Frank Tweedy, a botanist with the US Geological Survey stumbled upon this beauty while working with the Northern Pacific Railway in 1882. (more…)
May 15, 2017 | Categories: Cascades, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, pink, purslane, rocky slopes, shaded forests, Unique to Northwest, Washington | Tags: chiwaukum, Flowers, leavenworth, pacific northwest, wenatchee, Wildflowers | 2 Comments
Table Rock Trail, Table Rock Wilderness, OR 8/2016.
Easy to miss, and difficult to identify (more…)
August 7, 2016 | Categories: Cascades, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, heath, July, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Olympics, Oregon, pink, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, yellow | Tags: flower, Larch Mountain, saprophytic/mycotrophic, Table Rock Wilderness, Wildflowers | 4 Comments
Tubal Cain Trail, Buckhorn Wilderness, WA, 7/2017
We’ve only recently become aware of these attractive plants. (more…)
July 30, 2016 | Categories: alpine/subalpine meadow, Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, edible, grasslands/prarie, June, Mid Elevation, Olympics, Oregon, pink, rose, Washington | Tags: badger pass, flower, horseshoe basin, school canyon trail, wildflower | 1 Comment