
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
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

Willow Creek Nature Preserve, Eugene, OR, 5/2016.
This is the most common of the bashful blue-eyed grasses we encounter, (more…)
September 10, 2019 | Categories: All Northwest, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, East of Cascades, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, iris, July, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Olympics, Oregon, purple/blue, SE Alaska, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Willamette Valley | Tags: cascade-siskiyou national monument, eugene, flower, green springs trail, hebo lake, hiking, wildflower | 2 Comments

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

Cone Peak, Willamette National Forest, OR, 6/2017.
This small and humble flower is often one of the earliest we find on hikes in the eastern gorge, and could be around now in places like the Dalles Mountain Ranch and Seven-Mile Hill west of The Dalles, (more…)
March 3, 2019 | Categories: Cascades, Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, grasslands/prarie, Low Elevation, May, Oregon, parsley, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, white | Tags: flower, wildflower | Leave a comment

Umtanum Creek Recreation Area, Yakima River Canyon, WA, 6/2018.
We encountered this bright yellow buckwheat shrub dotting the pale dry sagebrush steppe in the Yakima River Valley in early summer. (more…)
August 5, 2018 | Categories: buckwheat, Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, grasslands/prarie, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Southern Oregon / Northern California, umbel, Unique to Northwest, Washington, yellow | Tags: Flowers, moths, sagebrush, Umtanum, wild, Yakima River | 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

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

Horsethief Lake, Columbia Hills State Park, WA. 5/2017.
While this plant is widespread and native to much of the western U.S., we still find ourselves taken with the rustic beauty of the flowers (more…)
May 13, 2018 | Categories: aster/composite, Cascades, Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, grasslands/prarie, July, June, Mid Elevation, Washington, yellow | Tags: Flowers, Wildflowers | 1 Comment

Sheep Rock Unit, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, OR, 10/2017.
Golden rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) framed the arid piñon-juniper desertscape in our recent fall trip to Eastern Oregon. We saw them blooming everywhere across the rolling hills near the John Day Fossil Beds. They look similar to sagebrush (more…)
October 21, 2017 | Categories: aster/composite, Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, October, Oregon, roadsides/disturbed areas, September, Southern Oregon / Northern California, yellow | Tags: Flowers, John Day Fossil Beds, Wildflowers | Leave a 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

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

Horsethief Lake, Columbia Hills State Park, WA. 5/2017.
Also known as Douglas’ dusty maidens and Hoary pincushion, this white flower with woolly soft silvery leaves blends into the background. (more…)
June 4, 2017 | Categories: Alpine, aster/composite, Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, grasslands/prarie, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington, white | Leave a 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

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
Saddle Mountain Trail, Saddle Mountain State Natural Area, OR, 6/2015.
Looking very much like its better know relative Farewell-to-spring (Clarkia amoena), (more…)
June 27, 2016 | Categories: Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, dry open woods, evening primrose/willowherb, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, June, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, Oregon, pink, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Willamette Valley | Tags: flower, horse rock ridge, Saddle Mountain, wildflower | Leave a comment

Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail, WA, 4/2016.
Early spring Columbia Gorge hikers are treated to several varieties of lomatium, commonly known as desert parsley (more…)
April 5, 2016 | Categories: April, Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, edible, grasslands/prarie, Low Elevation, parsley, pink, rocky slopes, Unique to Northwest, Washington | 2 Comments

Dalles Mountain Road, Columbia Gorge, WA, 4/2014.
Yakima is the name of a group or tribe of Native Americans who live in Washington state. (more…)
April 6, 2015 | Categories: Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, pea, poisonous, rocky slopes, Unique to Northwest, Washington, yellow | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, Wildflowers | 2 Comments

Silver Star Mountain, Columbia Gorge, WA, 6/2014.
Not to be confused with this Oregon flag. (more…)
January 17, 2015 | Categories: dry open woods, grasslands/prarie, iris, purple/blue, Washington | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, Wildflowers | 2 Comments

Horsethief Butte, Columbia Hills State Park, Columbia Gorge, WA, 4/2014.
“The name Fleabane was applied to this plant because there was a popular belief among country people that the flowers possessed some objectionable features that caused undesirable insects to give it a wide berth. (more…)
December 13, 2014 | Categories: aster/composite, Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, grasslands/prarie, Low Elevation, May, purple/blue, rocky slopes, Unique to Northwest, Washington, yellow | Tags: Columbia Gorge, flower, Horsethief Butte, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Catherine Creek Trail, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA. 4/2013.
Also known as Sand Clover, it was formerly named tridentatum. Named after Carl Ludwig Willdenow (1765-1812), a German botanist.
November 8, 2014 | Categories: April, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, grasslands, grasslands/prarie, Low Elevation, pea, pink, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington | Tags: Catherine Creek, Columbia Gorge, flower, Wildflowers | Leave a comment