Hoary False Yarrow (Chaenactis douglasii)
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…)
Large-flowered Collomia (Collomia grandiflora)
Major Creek Road, Columbia Gorge, WA. 5/2017.
This small flower stands out for its unusual salmon color and contrasting blue pollen. It grows in dry sandy soils west of the Continental Divide. (more…)
Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)
Tubal Cain Trail, Buckhorn Wilderness, WA, 7/2017
We’ve only recently become aware of these attractive plants. (more…)
Small-flowered Godetia (Clarkia purpurea)
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…)
Columbia Desert Parsley (Lomatium columbianum)
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…)
Yakima Milk-vetch (Astragalus reventiformis)
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…)
Oregon Flag (Iris tenax)
Silver Star Mountain, Columbia Gorge, WA, 6/2014.
Not to be confused with this Oregon flag. (more…)
Cushion Fleabane (Erigeron poliospermus var. poliospermus)
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…)
Tomcat Clover (Trifolium willdenovii)
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.
Silver-leaf Phacelia (Phacelia Hastata)
Horsethief Butte, Columbia Hills State Park, Columbia Gorge, WA, 4/2014.
This strange looking plant is not, as one might guess, related to Fiddleneck, but rather a member of the waterleaf family. (more…)
