
Elowah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, OR. 5/2021.
Elated to discover multiple specimens of this unusual White Shooting Star growing out of a dripping wet cliffside in the Columbia Gorge! (more…)
July 5, 2021 | Categories: Cascades, Columbia Gorge West, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, May, Oregon, primrose, shaded forests, Unique to Northwest, white | Tags: botanizing, Columbia Gorge, flower, hiking, pacific northwest, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Mt. Ellinor trail, Olympic National Forest, WA, 8/2020.
We often see these spikes of cream-colored bells on rocky peaks and ridges. (more…)
August 11, 2020 | Categories: Alpine, August, Cascades, Olympics, raceme, rocky slopes, saxifrage, Unique to Northwest, Washington, white, yellow | Tags: botanizing, flower, hiking, Olympic National Park, Olympic Peninsula, pacific northwest, wildflower | Leave a comment

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

Tatoosh Ridge Trail, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA, 7/2020.
These Mountain Sageworts were mixed into the incredible flower fields we found on Tatoosh Ridge south of Mt. Rainier. (more…)
July 28, 2020 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, aster/composite, August, Cascades, dry open woods, Olympics, raceme, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington, yellow | Tags: absinthe, Alaska, flower, gifford pinchot, hiking, Mt. Rainier, pacific northwest, ridge trail, tatoosh, wildflower, wormwood | 2 Comments
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

Badger Creek Wilderness, OR, 5/2016.
In the early 2000s, through DNA identification and global research advances, a few of the Cinquefoils, including this common lower elevation meadow flower, were moved from the Potentilla genus to the new Drymocallis genus. To date all three Drymocallis species’ share the trait of being ‘protocarnivorous.’ (more…)
June 15, 2020 | Categories: All Northwest, Cascades, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, July, June, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, Olympics, Oregon, rose, SE Alaska, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington, white, Willamette Valley, yellow | Tags: botanizing, Flowers, hiking, pacific northwest, wilflowers | Leave a comment

Three Corner Rock Trail, Skamania County, WA, 5/2020.
It’s nearly impossible to hike in the Cascades without recognizing large drifts of this common plant in the understory, but nearly as rare is seeing it in bloom. (more…)
June 1, 2020 | Categories: barberry, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, Low Elevation, May, Oregon, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, white, Willamette Valley | Tags: Columbia Gorge, Flowers, hiking, pacific northwest, Wildflowers | 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

Pacific Crest Trail, Hobart Bluff, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, OR, 7/2019.
We found these large purple flowers in alluring sun-spotted drifts while hiking this summer in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument along the Pacific Crest Trail. (more…)
October 27, 2019 | Categories: California, Cascades, geranium, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, Oregon, purple/blue, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, Willamette Valley | Tags: cascade-siskiyou national monument, flower, hobart bluff, Non-native, pacific crest trail, wildflower | Leave a comment

Tygh Creek Trail, Badger Creek Wilderness, OR, 5/2016.
Roundleaf Alumroot is a demure relative of the bold colored Heucheras one finds in home gardens. (more…)
October 20, 2019 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, Cascades, East of Cascades, July, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Oregon, raceme, rocky slopes, saxifrage, SE Alaska, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, white, yellow | Tags: badger creek wilderness, flower, heuchera, wildflower | 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

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

Cone Peak Trail, Willamette National Forest, OR, 6/2016.
We rarely see this flower in full bloom, and then hardly ever without an insect of some sort on its lovely petals. (more…)
July 9, 2019 | Categories: Cascades, Coastal, fragrant, July, June, marsh wetland/water's edge, Mid Elevation, Olympics, Oregon, phlox, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, white, yellow | Tags: cone peak, flower, Flowers, Iron Mountain, Siskiyou Mountains | Leave a comment

Bagley Creek, Mount Baker National Forest, WA, 7/2016.
We didn’t initial think this plant was a saxifrage because we mostly saw the red seed heads and stems, (more…)
April 11, 2019 | Categories: alpine/subalpine meadow, August, Cascades, July, marsh wetland/water's edge, medicinal, Mid Elevation, Olympics, saxifrage, SE Alaska, Unique to Northwest, Washington, white | Tags: bagley creek, flower, mt baker, wildflower | 1 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
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

Mt. Hood, Vista Ridge Trail, OR, 8/2016.
One of the more common and easy to identify of the dizzying array of yellow composite flowers; we were surprised to find we hadn’t yet posted it. (more…)
January 11, 2019 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, aster/composite, August, Cascades, Coastal, East of Cascades, July, marsh wetland/water's edge, Mid Elevation, Olympics, Oregon, SE Alaska, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington, yellow | Tags: cairn basin, flower, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, Vista ridge, wildflower | 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

Vista Ridge Trail, Mt. Hood Wilderness, OR, 8/2016.
Yet another of the many northwest saxifrage species; (more…)
November 25, 2018 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, August, Cascades, Mid Elevation, Oregon, rocky slopes, saxifrage, Unique to Northwest, white | Tags: flower, hudson bay company, mount rainier, tolmie, Vista ridge, wildflower | Leave a comment

Home Sweet Home, Olympic National Park, WA, 8/2018.
If ever one needs a reminder that flowers exist to attract pollinators rather than for human enjoyment, look no further than the homely sawwort. (more…)
August 20, 2018 | Categories: alpine/subalpine meadow, aster/composite, August, Cascades, July, Mid Elevation, Olympics, purple/blue, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, Washington | Tags: flower, home sweet home, north fork skokomish trail, Olympic National Park, skokomish river, wildflower | Leave a comment

South Puyallup Trail, Mt Rainier National Park, WA, 7/2015.
This member of the orchid family is common in conifer woodlands across the west and northwest. (more…)
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August 2, 2018 | Categories: Alpine, August, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, dry open woods, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Olympics, orchid, Oregon, raceme, SE Alaska, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, white, Willamette Valley | Tags: flower, north beach penninsula, Puyallup, Wildflowers | 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