McDowell Creek Falls, Linn County, OR, 3/2021.
This wildflower has been on our most wanted list for some time… (more…)
March 28, 2021 | Categories: Coastal, lily, Low Elevation, March, marsh wetland/water's edge, Oregon, purple/blue, shaded forests, Unique to Northwest, Willamette Valley, yellow | Tags: flower, hiking, pacific northwest, spring, 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
Along the Trask River, Tillamook County, OR, 7/2020.
Yay! After spending years at the top of our most wanted list, we finally tracked down this supposedly common orchid, but only after nearly walking by large groups of them twice. (more…)
July 14, 2020 | Categories: aquatic, Coastal, July, June, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, May, Mid Elevation, orange/red, orchid, Oregon, Willamette Valley, yellow | Tags: flower, hiking, Oregon Coast, pacific northwest, wildflower | 1 Comment
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
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
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
Camassia Nature Preserve, West Linn, OR, 4/2019.
“What a pleasure, seeing the year’s first trilliums in March or April, just when the winter rains feel like Forever!” — Daniel Mathews, Cascade-Olympic Natural History
We couldn’t agree more! (more…)
April 21, 2019 | Categories: April, fragrant, lily, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, Oregon, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, white, Willamette Valley | Tags: camas, camassia, Edith F. Johnston, Flowers, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Willow Creek Natural Area, Eugene, OR, 5/2016.
For Valentine’s Day, we’re posting our first of several native roses from our region, (more…)
February 14, 2019 | Categories: Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, dry open woods, edible, fragrant, June, Low Elevation, medicinal, Olympics, Oregon, pink, rose, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington, Willamette Valley | Tags: flower, Wildflowers | 1 Comment
Mirror Lake, Rooster Rock State Park, OR, 7/2015.
The big-heads of this aster family member can be dried, powdered and used as snuff, (more…)
September 3, 2018 | Categories: aster/composite, Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, Mid Elevation, Oregon, September, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Willamette Valley, yellow | Tags: Helen of Troy, mirror lake, Rooster Rock State Park, snuff, Wildflowers | 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
Lower Table Rock, BLM Medford district, Oregon, 4/2018.
Although the flowers were quite small (less than 0.5 inches in diameter), we still believe the Nemophila we found growing among the grasses near the seasonal vernal pools on top of Table Rock a few weeks back are of the fairly common menziesii species (more…)
April 22, 2018 | Categories: April, borage, Cascades, Coastal, Coastal, grasslands, Low Elevation, March, marsh wetland/water's edge, Mid Elevation, Oregon, Southern Oregon / Northern California, white, Willamette Valley | Tags: flower, medford, menzies, table rock, wildflower | 1 Comment
Larch Mountain, Columbia Gorge, OR, 6/2016.
Although Twayblades are not uncommon (especially for an orchid), (more…)
December 26, 2017 | Categories: Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge East, Columbia Gorge West, green, July, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Olympics, orchid, Oregon, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Willamette Valley | Tags: Buckhorn Wilderness, Columbia Gorge, Larch Mountain, marmot pass, mount rainier, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Ridgefield Wildlife Preserve, WA, 9/2015.
This rustic, but pretty, flower is common to much of North America. (more…)
October 9, 2017 | Categories: Balsam, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, orange/red, Oregon, roadsides/disturbed areas, September, Washington, Willamette Valley | Tags: flower, pacific northwest, Wildflowers | 1 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
Tygh Creek Trail, Badger Creek Wilderness Area, OR, 6/2017
The Diamond or Common clarkia, showed up near its close relative the Elkhorns Clarkia,
(more…)
August 31, 2017 | Categories: Cascades, Columbia Gorge West, East of Cascades, evening primrose/willowherb, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Oregon, pink, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Willamette Valley | Tags: Buckhorn Wilderness, flower, tygh creek, wildflower | Leave a 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
Graham Oaks Nature Park, Wilsonville, OR, 6/2015.
There are four varieties of the Sidalicea genus common to the Pacific Northwest (more…)
June 15, 2015 | Categories: grasslands, June, Low Elevation, mallow, Oregon, pink, roadsides/disturbed areas, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, Willamette Valley | Tags: flower, Graham Oaks Nature Park, Wildflowers | 2 Comments
Saddle Mountain Trail, Saddle Mountain State Natural Area, OR, 6/2015.
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