Bandit Springs Trail, Ochoco NF, OR 6/2023.
Our third Iris post, this Rocky Mountain Iris is found in wet pockets of Ponderosa Pine forests with drier summers. In the PNW that means east of the cascades, (more…)
July 16, 2023 | Categories: East of Cascades, grasslands/prarie, iris, June, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, Oregon, purple/blue, roadsides/disturbed areas, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, white | Tags: central oregon, Flowers, hiking, Lookout mountain, mitchell, prineville, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Lookout Mountain Trail, Ochoco NF, OR 6/2023.
At last, thanks to this summer’s late thaw, we finally spotted Brown’s peony in bloom, a bit later than usual, in central Oregon’s Ochoco mountains.
(more…)
July 2, 2023 | Categories: brown, East of Cascades, grasslands/prarie, June, May, Mid Elevation, orange/red, Oregon, paeoniaceae, rocky slopes, sagebrush steppe, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: big summit praire, Crook county, Flowers, Lookout mountain, ochoco, peony, prineville, sagebrush steppe, Wildflowers | 1 Comment
Cathedral Hills Park, Grants Pass, OR 3/2022.
When we think of Pedicularis, we think of alpine plants like Elephant head and the various Louseworts we find in the moist meadows of Mt Rainier and the high Cascades. (more…)
May 10, 2022 | Categories: April, broomrape, dry open woods, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, orange/red, Oregon, Southern Oregon / Northern California | Tags: blm, botanizing, flower, grants pass, southern Oregon, Wildflowers | 1 Comment
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
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
Eight Dollar Mountain, Selma, OR, 4/2015.
A special two-colored violet found only in serpentine soils at the Oregon-California border, a unique botanical environment we return to again and again. (more…)
September 3, 2019 | Categories: April, California, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, Oregon, purple/blue, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, violet, white | Tags: bigfoot, Flowers, hiking, klamath, serpentine, Wildflowers | 4 Comments
Viewpoint Mike Trail, Lost Creek Lake, OR, 4/2018.
We recently photographed this uncommon catchfly, and then realized we had also seen it on a previous trip visiting, Oregon’s southern Cascades. Although common in this limited area, we more often see Parry’s Catchfly, elsewhere in the northwest. (more…)
August 26, 2019 | Categories: California, July, June, Low Elevation, May, Mid Elevation, Oregon, pink, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, white | Tags: Flowers, hiking, lost creek lake, pacific northwest, Siskiyou Mountains, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Hyatt Lake Recreation Area, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, OR, 7/2019.
Apparently David Douglas found this quite lovely member of the mint family while botanizing the upper reaches of the Columbia River in the 1820s (more…)
August 13, 2019 | Categories: Coastal, June, Low Elevation, mint, Oregon, purple/blue, roadsides/disturbed areas, Southern Oregon / Northern California | Tags: Cascades, Flowers, hiking, Oregon, pacific northwest, siskiyou, Wildflowers | 2 Comments
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
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
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
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
Royal Basin trail, Olympic National Park, 7/2016.
This is the most common of the 3 twisted-stalks in our region. (more…)
July 5, 2018 | Categories: All Northwest, Alpine, July, lily, Low Elevation, Mid Elevation, shaded forests, Washington, white | Tags: Olympic National Park, royal basin, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Burnt Mountain Trail, William O. Douglas Wilderness Area, WA 6/2018.
Hiking along a ridge in Washington’s central Cascades, we were surprised to find a group of these large, unusual looking plants (more…)
July 1, 2018 | Categories: Alpine, alpine/subalpine meadow, dry open woods, East of Cascades, gentian, green, July, Mid Elevation, purple/blue, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington | Tags: Flowers, rimrock lake, us12, white pass, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Mary’s Peak, Siuslaw National Forest, 6/2016.
The common name “mistmaiden” is surely appropriate for these delightful flowers. (more…)
June 10, 2018 | Categories: borage, Cascades, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, July, Low Elevation, marsh wetland/water's edge, May, Mid Elevation, Olympics, Oregon, SE Alaska, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Washington, white | Tags: Flowers, Mary's peak, Olympic National Park, royal basin, siuslaw, Wildflowers | 2 Comments
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
Viewpoint Mike Trail, Lost Creek Lake, OR, 4/2018.
What a treat to discover these tiny, and possibly somewhat rare, monkeyflowers on the dry grassy slopes among the blooming buckbrush and long-needled ponderosa pines on a recent hike in Southern Oregon! (more…)
May 6, 2018 | Categories: April, figwort / lousewort, grasslands, Low Elevation, May, Oregon, purple/blue, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: flower, lost creek lake, Wildflowers | 2 Comments
Illinois River Trail, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, OR, 3/2018.
This is one of two similar ceanothus ground covers whose rugged foliage set it apart from the larger more common trailside shrubs in the buckthorn family, (more…)
April 18, 2018 | Categories: buckthorn, California, dry open woods, Low Elevation, May, Oregon, purple/blue, rocky slopes, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest | Tags: Flowers, hiking, illinois river, serpentine, Wildflowers | Leave a comment
Britt Woods, Jacksonville, OR. 3/2018.
We tend to see three different species of yellow monkey flower in the Cascades and the Columbia River gorge (more…)
April 14, 2018 | Categories: April, Cascades, Coastal, Coastal, Columbia Gorge West, figwort / lousewort, marsh wetland/water's edge, May, Olympics, Oregon, shaded forests, Southern Oregon / Northern California, Unique to Northwest, yellow | Tags: Britt Gardens, Flowers, jacksonville, Jacksonville Woods, pacific northwest, Wildflowers | 1 Comment
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