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 | Leave a 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
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
Lyle Cherry Orchard Trailhead, Columbia Gorge, WA, 4/2016.
This early bloomer is only found in dry rocky sites at lower and middle elevations. In fact, most of the photos we’ve seen of this uncommon plant have it springing directly from a rock face. (more…)
January 3, 2020 | Categories: Columbia Gorge East, East of Cascades, June, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, mustard, pink, raceme, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, Washington, white | Tags: cherry orchard, Columbia Gorge, dry steppe, flower, wildflower | 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, 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, waterleaf, 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
Pacific Crest Trail, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, OR, 7/2019.
At one point in the spectacular Hobart Bluff-Soda Mountain section of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, we found the trailside covered in these pretty Owl’s clovers we had never seen before. (more…)
August 20, 2019 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, August, broomrape, July, Mid Elevation, Oregon, pink, purple/blue, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: flower, hiking, pacific crest trail, pacific northwest, wildflower | Leave a comment
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
Hyatt Lake Recreation Area, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, OR, 7/2019.
What a pleasant surprise to discover large patches of these tiny blue & yellow flowers in the dry outlet of Hyatt Lake, in Southern Oregon. (more…)
July 16, 2019 | Categories: bellflower, East of Cascades, July, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, Oregon, purple/blue, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: bellflower, flower, hyatt lake, jepson, vernal pools | 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
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
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
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
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
Major Creek Road, Columbia Gorge, WA, 5/2017.
This attractive member of the gentian family is also sometimes called Elkweed. (more…)
January 14, 2019 | Categories: Columbia Gorge East, dry open woods, East of Cascades, gentian, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Oregon, purple/blue, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington, white | Tags: Badger Creek, flower, Major Creek Road, wildflower | 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
Boundary Trail, Horseshoe Basin, Pasayten Wilderness, WA, 7/2016.
Grizzly food! Good thing we didn’t know this fact (more…)
September 10, 2018 | Categories: East of Cascades, edible, fragrant, July, Mid Elevation, pea, shaded forests, Washington, white | Tags: arctic tundra, flower, grizzly bear, horseshoe basin, Okanogan, pasayten wilderness, Wildflowers | 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
