Heralds of Spring - March 2013

Trillium ovatum, one of the first flowers to bloom in the Western Gorge

Wildflower Challenge 2013 - Catherine Creek

This flower is in the genus Saxifraga

     Friends of the Columbia Gorge have initiated a wildflower challenge this year, following the previous two years of hiking and visiting waterfall challenges.  Of course, I am all over it, being a fan of wildflowers.  There is a list of 25 flowers by species or genus to find between March 1 and July 31 this year.  If that is too many flowers for you, there is a point system so you can earn 25 points by finding fewer flowers.  Prizes, too!  I intend to find them all, and a lot of others as well.  More info at http://www.gorgefriends.org/flowerfrenzy
     I headed out to Catherine Creek in the Eastern Gorge,  which has a very high diversity of wildflowers in the spring and early summer.  At least 8 of the flowers on the Flower Frenzy list can be found there, although not all at the same time.  Go East on Washington Hwy 14 through Bingen, turn left on Old Highway 8 (4.5 miles past Bingen) and go about 1.5 miles to the parking area next to the road.  Trails go up and down hill from the gravel lot. 

Grass Widows, Olsynium douglasii

 Grass Widow (1 point) is blooming everywhere in the open areas at Catherine Creek now, but will soon fade and be replaced by other species.  Seen below,  Lomatium utriculatum, Fine-leaf Desert Parsley, is one of the other early bloomers at Catherine Creek.

Many of the Desert Parsley species were used as food or medicine by Native Americans

Lomatium piperi, Salt and Pepper
(2 points) a tiny plant but in the same genus as the other Desert Parsleys.  In the picture below you can see it dwarfed by a Grass Widow which is larger than life size on fullscreen.

This is a buttercup, genus Ranunculus, one of several similar species with bright yellow flowers
(1 point)

That is our nation's symbol flying above the hills in this photo,  looking NW from the parking area

Columbia Desert Parsley Lomatium columbianum endemic to the Gorge (3 points)

I have found 4 flowers on the list so far, earning 7 points!