This wildflower status report is compiled and maintained by writer/photographer Carol Leigh in Waldport, Oregon. Your wildflower reports are welcomed and encouraged. Please e-mail me your observations, additions, comments, etc. (being as specific as possible about locations) and I'll include them here.

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May 2, 2003

General note - 3/20/03
Doug Mangum writes: Congratulations on your move to Oregon. Just wondering if you're planning on hosting a wildflower site for Oregon this year. Cairn Basin and Elk Cove on Mt. Hood put on an incredible flower show, usually the last week of July. I'll be looking for some sources to plan my trip this year.
    Carol Leigh writes: Thanks for planting the seed, Doug, and yes, here it is. I took a quick look online regarding Cairn Basin, and came up with these websites that give excellent information. This is great — one more place for me to explore!

Highway 229 from Toledo through Siletz - 3/23/03
Carol Leigh writes: Taking Highway 229 in the rain yesterday morning we stopped numerous times to photograph skunk cabbage as it grew in profusion along the road. Most of the bigger, larger patches of it were found on the west side of the road and, naturally, in places where there WEREN'T any handy turnouts!

Tulip Festival in Woodburn - 3/29/03
Carol Leigh writes: The tulips and daffodils are looking fantastic in Woodburn right now. Parking is $4 per vehicle on Saturday and Sunday, free on weekdays. Sample photo at http://www.photoexplorations.com/POD/mar0203.htm . . .

Oregon Garden - 3/29/03
Carol Leigh writes: We visited the Oregon Garden in Silverton today and it's still a bit early for much blooming. Things look very promising, however, including the wildflower gardens that they seeded last year — especially very robust clumps of lupine that look like they could be spectacular in another month. Right now all that's blooming are daffodils, a few tulips, some incredibly floriferous Yoshino cherry trees, flowering red currant and a few anemones. Admission $7 per person.

Near Corvallis - 4/8/03 
Janelle Bartow writes: There is a big patch of yellow fawn lilies amongst some trees near Corvallis. From Corvallis, if you go North on Hwy 99 towards Monmouth, turn left on Tampico Road. Immediately on your left there will be a thicket of trees with fawn lilies. It looks like the land has never been cleared in that area, and the lilies are thriving.

North of Medford - 4/21/03
Jason Schwarz writes: Hi Carol, I was up at Lower Table Top Rock just north of Medford this weekend and the flower displays are great. Bunches of Blue-Eyed Mary on the valley floor and fields of Blue-eyed Mary, goldenfields, Fiddleheads, Desert Parsley, Rosy Plectritis and Lupine on the top of the rock. Tolmie's Cat Ears, Shooting Star, Oregon Sunshine, Blue-Dick, Clarkia and Larkspur are also in abundance as well as a number of other flowers which I can't ID. In another week or so the Camas should be blooming at the trailhead. It looks like I was one week too late for the Fritillaria and Fawn Lilies. But all in all a beautiful sight with high species diversity.

Cape Perpetua - 4/23/03
Dennis reports: There are hundreds of trilliums blooming on the Gwynn Creek Loop Trail at Cape Perpetua right now. [For information about Cape Perpetua hiking trails: http://www.newportnet.com/capeperpetua/trails.cfm]  

Finley National Wildlife Refuge near Corvallis - 4/28/03
Jason Schwarz writes: Finley Wildlife Refuge south of Corvallis is in full bloom. The flat lowland is full of fields of camas. The hilly oak-savannah is also full of flowers. Oregon iris is covering the hillsides as well as Oregon wild cucumber (or manroot), a species of mariposa or cat's ear lily, western buttercup, checker mallow, camas, cow parsley, trillium and various species of vetch. A beautiful sight on a clear day!

Cammasia Nature Conservancy - 5/2/03
Jason Schwarz writes: The Cammasia Nature Conservancy site in West Linn (just south of Portland) is living up to its name. There are many flowers in peak bloom in a beautiful setting. Under the forest canopy are red trillium, stream violet and camas. Once you enter the vernal pools and the rocky area at the top of the trail there are millions of camas in bloom along with an abundance rosy plectritis, fields of a small purple species of blue eyed mary, northern buckwheat (I could be wrong about this ID), Oregon iris and western buttercup. It's so beautiful you won't even be bothered by the roar of the freeway below.

Tom McCall Nature Preserve - 5/2/03
Jason Schwarz writes: The Tom McCall Nature Preserve near Mosier at the east end of the Columbia River Gorge is blooming. While the bloom is not as abundant as last year it is still very picturesque. The deltoid balsamroot are the predominant flower right now but they seem a few days past peak. The Broadleaf Lupine is starting to open and, in places, makes a nice mix with the balsamroot. Manroot, barestem desert parsley, Howell's brodeiaea and fiddleneck are also in abundance.

©2003 Picture This
P.O. Box 1269, Waldport, OR 97394
(541) 563-3834
E-mail carol@photoexplorations.com
http://www.photoexplorations.com
California Wildflower Hotsheet: http://www.calphoto.com/wflower.htm
Washington Wildflower Hotsheet: http://www.photoexplorations.com/wawild/wawild.htm