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…)
August 4, 2020 | Categories: All Northwest, alpine/subalpine meadow, August, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, East of Cascades, edible, figwort / lousewort, July, June, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, Mid Elevation, Olympics, Oregon, purple/blue, SE Alaska, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington, Willamette Valley | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, hiking, pacific northwest, wildflower | 1 Comment
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…)
July 7, 2020 | Categories: Cascades, Coastal, dry open woods, figwort / lousewort, July, June, Mid Elevation, purple/blue, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, Washington | Tags: boundary trail, flower, hiking, Johnston Ridge Observatory, mt st helens, pacific northwest, wildflower | 2 Comments
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…)
June 24, 2019 | Categories: All Northwest, figwort / lousewort, July, June, Mid Elevation, Oregon, rocky slopes, white | Tags: cone peak, flower, home sweet home, Iron Mountain, santiam river, white penstemon, wildflower | Leave a comment
Iron Mountain, Willamette National Forest, OR, 6/2016.
These fuzzy-tongue penstemon, display amazing markings to guide pollinators to their nectar. (more…)
July 22, 2018 | Categories: Cascades, Columbia Gorge East, dry open woods, East of Cascades, figwort / lousewort, grasslands/prarie, June, Mid Elevation, Oregon, purple/blue | Tags: beardtongue, flower, Iron Mountain, tombstone pass, wildflower | 1 Comment
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…)
May 6, 2018 | Categories: April, figwort / lousewort, grasslands, Low Elevation, May, Oregon, purple/blue, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: flower, lost creek lake, Wildflowers | 2 Comments
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…)
April 14, 2018 | Categories: April, Cascades, Coastal, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, figwort / lousewort, marsh wetland/water's edge, May, Olympics, Oregon, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, yellow | Tags: Britt Gardens, Flowers, jacksonville, Jacksonville Woods, pacific northwest, Wildflowers | 1 Comment
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…)
August 28, 2017 | Categories: Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, figwort / lousewort, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, June, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, purple/blue, Unique to Northwest, Washington | Tags: flower, Thomas Hart Benton, wildflower, Yakima River | 1 Comment
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…)
July 7, 2015 | Categories: Alpine, Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, figwort / lousewort, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Oregon, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, yellow | Tags: Cape Perpetua, 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
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…)
March 8, 2015 | Categories: April, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, figwort / lousewort, Oregon, purple/blue, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
McCord Creek Falls, Columbia Gorge, OR, 4/2014.
This is one of the easier paintbrush varieties to identify (more…)
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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
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…)
February 7, 2015 | Categories: Alpine, Cascades, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, East of Cascades, figwort / lousewort, July, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Oregon, purple/blue, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, hiking, Mount Defiance, pacific northwest, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
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…)
October 5, 2014 | Categories: Cascades, Coastal, figwort / lousewort, grasslands/prarie, June, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, Non-native, Oregon, pink, roadsides/disturbed areas, Washington | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
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…)
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May 21, 2014 | Categories: April, Columbia Gorge West, figwort / lousewort, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Oregon, purple/blue, rocky slopes | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
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…)
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May 5, 2014 | Categories: All Northwest, Alpine, figwort / lousewort, grasslands/prarie, June, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, purple/blue, Washington | Tags: Catherine Creek, Columbia Gorge, flower, Wildflowers | 1 Comment
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…)
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March 10, 2014 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, August, Cascades, figwort / lousewort, July, Mid Elevation, pink, Unique to Northwest, Washington | Tags: flower, North Cascades National Park, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
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…)
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January 30, 2014 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, East of Cascades, figwort / lousewort, July, Mid Elevation, Oregon, purple/blue, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California | Tags: flower, Three Sisters, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
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.
(more…)
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-121.755632
December 30, 2013 | Categories: Cascades, Columbia Gorge East, figwort / lousewort, June, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, May, Mid Elevation, purple/blue, Southern Oregon / Northern California | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, grassy knoll, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Catherine Creek Trail, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA. 4/2013.
The latin translates to “little mimic.” (more…)
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-121.376871
May 29, 2013 | Categories: All Northwest, Alpine, figwort / lousewort, July, June, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, May, Mid Elevation, Washington, yellow | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Larch Mountain, Columbia Gorge, OR, 7/2014.
…more…
August 1, 2012 | Categories: August, Cascades, dry open woods, figwort / lousewort, July, Mid Elevation, Oregon, purple/blue, rocky slopes, Unique to Northwest | Tags: Elk Meadow, flower, Mt. Rainier, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Berkeley Park Meadow, Mount Rainier N.P., WA, 8/2011.
Also known as “Wood Betony.”
July 31, 2012 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, bract, Cascades, figwort / lousewort, July, marsh wetland/water's edge, Mid Elevation, Washington, yellow | Tags: Berkeley Park, flower, mount rainier, Mt. Rainier, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Berkeley Park Meadow, Mount Rainier N.P., WA, 8/2011.
…more…
July 30, 2012 | Categories: Alpine, Cascades, dry open woods, figwort / lousewort, July, Mid Elevation, pink, shaded forests, Washington, white | Tags: Berkeley Park, flower, Mt. Rainier, Sickletop, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Near Skyscraper Mountain, Mt. Rainier N.P. , WA, 8/2011. (more…)
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-121.697596
October 29, 2011 | Categories: alpine/subalpine meadow, Cascades, East of Cascades, figwort / lousewort, July, Mid Elevation, rocky slopes, Washington, yellow | Tags: flower, Mt. Rainier, Skyscraper Mountain, Wildflowers | 2 Comments
Bagley Lake Trail, Mt. Baker Wilderness, WA, 7/2016.
Named after Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806.
(more…)
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September 28, 2011 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, August, Cascades, East of Cascades, figwort / lousewort, July, Mid Elevation, pink, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington | Tags: Berkeley Park, flower, Mt. Rainier, Wildflowers | 2 Comments