A collection of flora from the pacific wonderland.

figwort / lousewort

American Speedwell (Veronica americana)

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Devil’s Rest Trail, Columbia River Gorge, OR, 7/2020.

We often encounter the tiny four-petaled blue flowers of the Veronica genus on our hikes in a variety of settings. (more…)


Cardwell’s Penstemon (Penstemon cardwellii)

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Boundary Trail, Mt. St. Helen’s National Park, WA,  6/2018.

Yet another brilliantly colored Penstemon, P. cardwellii thrives in thin sandy soils, like the northwest side of Mt. St. Helen’s, where we found a stunning display.  (more…)


Scabland Penstemon (Penstemon deustus)

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Cone Peak Trail, Willamette National Forest, OR, 6/2019.

Amazingly….we continue to find more northwest penstemons! This one is unique in its stems of creamy white rather than the traditional purple, pink, or blue flowers (more…)


Fuzzy-tongue Penstemon (Penstemon eriantherus v. argillosus)

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Iron Mountain, Willamette National Forest, OR, 6/2016.

These fuzzy-tongue penstemon, display amazing markings to guide pollinators to their nectar.  (more…)


Kellogg’s Monkeyflower (Diplacus kelloggii)

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Viewpoint Mike Trail, Lost Creek Lake, OR, 4/2018.

What a treat to discover these tiny, and possibly somewhat rare, monkeyflowers on the dry grassy slopes among the blooming buckbrush and long-needled ponderosa pines on a recent hike in Southern Oregon!  (more…)


Chickweed Monkeyflower (Mimulus alsinoides)

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Britt Woods, Jacksonville, OR. 3/2018.

We tend to see three different species of yellow monkey flower in the Cascades and the Columbia River gorge (more…)


Gairdner’s Penstemon (Penstemon gairdneri)

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Rattlesnake Dance Trail, Yakima Canyon, WA.  5/2017

We found these lovely, endemic penstemons on an impromptu hike just south of Ellensburg, WA, on our way back to Portland from Leavenworth this past spring. (more…)


Tooth-leaved Monkeyflower (Mimulus dentatus)

St. Perpetua Trail, Cape Perpetua State Park, OR, 5/2015.

St. Perpetua Trail, Cape Perpetua State Park, OR, 5/2015.

We’ve been seeing a lot of these on recent hikes–both in the gorge and on the coast. (more…)


Harsh Paintbrush (Castilleja hispida)

Near Memaloose Viewpoint, Columbia Gorge, OR, 5/2014/

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…)


Snow Queen (Synthyris reniformis)

Silver Falls State Park, OR, 5/2014.

Silver Falls State Park, OR, 5/2014.

There are nine species in the Synthyris genus.  Four appear in the Pacific Northwest.  Only two appear in the Columbia Gorge (more…)


Cliff Paintbrush (Castilleja rupicola)

McCord Creek Falls, Columbia Gorge, OR, 4/2014.

McCord Creek Falls, Columbia Gorge, OR, 4/2014.

This is one of the easier paintbrush varieties to identify (more…)


Shrubby Penstemon (Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus)

Rainy Lake Road, OR, 6/2014.

Rainy Lake Road, OR, 6/2014.

Looking very similar to both davidsonii and rupicola (of which, only the latter is found in the gorge), (more…)


Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Latourell Falls Trail, Columbia Gorge, OR, 8/2013.

Latourell Falls Trail, Columbia Gorge, OR, 8/2013.

This showy, European import is prevalent in low-elevation roadsides and disturbed areas in the western halves of Oregon, Washington and California, as well a a smattering of western, and east-coast locations. (more…)


Columbia Kittentails (Synthyris stellata)

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McCord Creek Falls Trail, Columbia Gorge, OR, 4/2014.

This subspecies, stellata is endemic to the Columbia Gorge, and is one of the first flowers to bloom there every year.  A very similar relative missurica, also called “Mountain Kittentails” and “Tailed Kittentails”,  is found in Northeast Oregon, Southeast Washington, and Northwest Idaho.  (more…)


Small-Flowered Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora)

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Major Creek Road, Columbia Gorge, WA, 4/2014.

To be honest, we couldn’t possibly tell the difference between this and the previously posted rattanii,  but we’re going by bloom time. (more…)


Birdsbeak Lousewort (Pedicularis ornithorhyncha)

Pinnacle Peak Trail, Tatoosh Wilderness, WA. 7/2021.

The petals’ resemblance to a bird’s beak which gives this flower its Latin and common name is easily seen in the above photo.  (more…)


Davidson’s Penstemon (Penstemon davidsonii)

Collier Cone Trail, Three Sisters NW, OR, 8/2013.

Collier Cone Trail, Three Sisters NW, OR, 8/2013.

The genus name refers to the flower’s  five stamens.  There are over 200 species of penstemon in the west.  (more…)


Rattan’s Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia rattanii)

Grassy Knoll Trail, Columbia Gorge, WA, 5/2013.

Grassy Knoll Trail, Columbia Gorge, WA, 5/2013.

Blooming slightly later than other Blue-Eyed Marys (Large flowered, small flowered and few flowered); it has the characteristic 5 petals, with the upper two petals pale, or nearly white, while the lower three are deep blue to lavender.

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Common Monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus)

Catherine Creek Trail, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA. 4/2013.

Catherine Creek Trail, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA. 4/2013.

The latin translates to “little mimic.”  (more…)


Turtlehead (Nothochelone nemorosa)

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Larch Mountain, Columbia Gorge, OR, 7/2014.

…more…


Bracted Lousewort (Pedicularis bracteosa)

Berkeley Park Meadow, Mount Rainier N.P., WA, 8/2011.

Also known as “Wood Betony.”


Parrotbeak (Pedicularis racemosa)

Berkeley Park Meadow, Mount Rainier N.P., WA, 8/2011.

…more…


Coiled-beak Lousewort (Pedicularis contortus)

Near Skyscraper Mountain, Mt. Rainier N.P. , WA, 8/2011. (more…)


Lewis Monkeyflower (Mimulus lewisii)

 

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Bagley Lake Trail, Mt. Baker Wilderness, WA, 7/2016.

Named after Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806.

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