Oregon Trout Lily

These delicate-looking natives are one of my favorites! Oregon Trout Lily (Erythronium oregonum) is also called Oregon Fawn Lily and Lamb's Lily among others. They favor open wooded areas and/or meadows west of the Cascades. You may see them in huge colonies like the ones below.

The roots were eaten raw by bears and native Americans alike, although the humans did cook them as well. The slightly spotted leaves of this plant account for the Trout and Fawn common name. There are several similar related species with slightly different blooms and leaves that grow at different elevations.

We spotted these growing profusely at Jenkins Estate (4/16/2014), behind the main house, under the big firs.

What a nice show! Note the spotted leaves.

Top view of bloom.

Bottom view.

A few Stream Violets are mixed in.

Woodland Spring Favorites

A carpet of Stream Violet and Oaks Toothwort

This time of year, our woodland trails in western Oregon really come to life in the wildflower arena. I've already posted about a few of the local favorites, such as the Stream Violet and Western Trillium, but this post is a quick look at what else is blooming right now (4/14/2014).

Western Spring Beauty (Claytonia sibirica)

We've seen these on just about every woodland trail in the area. Blooms are only 1/2 inch at most and emerge with slightly pink stripes. They get about 7 inches high. Named after the American botanist, John Clayton.

Hooker's Fairy Bell (Prosartes hookeri)

Taller than the spring beauties above, the white blossoms hang down and have long stamens that exceed the petals. The flower does resemble a bell somewhat.

Wild Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa)

You've probably seen these easy to identify flowers in the forest or in our local parks that have natural areas. The pinkish flowers are somewhat heart-shaped, but not sure if they look like they are bleeding! The leaves are fern-like but are not evergreens. There are many cultivars that for sale in nurseries as well. They tend to be more red than pink.

Star-Flowered False Solomon's Seal (Maianthemum stellata)

One of several woodland plants with similar looking leaves. The flowers are tiny, measuring only about 1/4 inch per bloom. They form dense colonies that can blanket the ground. Berries are produced, but are not tasty at all!

Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)

These colorful pink flowers are only a tad larger than the spring beauties above and are members of the Geranium genus. Also known as Stinky Bob because the crushed leaves smell like burning tires. The plant was used for toothaches and nosebleeds in traditional herbal medicine!

Bonus Section!

Some Western Trillium turn purple as they wane...

Fresh Sword Ferns (Polystichum munitum) emerging from
existing plant.

More information about Sword Ferns

Cascade Oregon Grape

Last April, I added a post about our native Oregon grape. That post was about Tall Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium), which can been seen growing in sunny areas along roads, in open areas, or planted in gardens as a hardy native addition.

Cascade Oregon Grape (Berberis nervosa), on the other hand, seems to thrive in the shade of giant second growth Douglas Fir forests. Also called Dull Oregon Grape, it grows only about a foot tall, and the leaves are flatter than its Tall cousin. In addition, the leaves are not shiny or "holly-like" as are the Tall version, hence the name "Dull." Note that some guides place both plants in the Mahonia genus, but I believe the Berberis is the newer one.

The flower clusters are similar, but thinner and less abundant on the nervosa plant. The resulting fruits ("grapes") are identical to the Tall ones.

I found several references to the potential medical benefits that may be derived from the bark and roots of both of these Mohonia plants. One reference indicated there is ongoing research for compounds in the roots.

These Dull Oregon Grapes were found at the Graham Oaks Nature Park near Wilsonville on 4/10/2014.

Al-the-Dal with Tall Oregon Grape for comparison.

Tall Oregon Grape leaves for comparison.

Honesty

Honestly, who wouldn't like a wildflower named "Honesty?" This oddly-named plant is one example of a garden flower that has "escaped" into the wild and became naturalized. It was originally a native of SE Europe, but according to several sources, Honesty (Lunaria annua) has made its way all over Europe and North America. Luckily for us photographers, it's quite attractive, with large purple blossoms and rather tall, making it easy to capture!

But perhaps more people would recognize the large, round, semi-transparent seeds that develop later in the year and vaguely resemble coins. Some would also mistake Honesty seeds for Money plant (Lunaria biennis) seeds, the latter being the actual, related but official Money plant. See link below for photos.

The dried seeds are often used in floral arrangements and have been called Silver Dollars or Chinese Coins. The Lunaria name has to do with the full moon, a resemblance one can see in the dried seeds. The origin of the Honesty name is less clear, so to speak; one source attributes the name to the transparency of the dried seeds. Not sure I follow that logic, but the name stuck!

Honesty is an annual plant, spreading by seeds and can grow to three feet high in good conditions. We spotted these growing about two feet tall at Champoeg State Park (4/07/2014) on the river trail near the old town site.

Check out the colorful green insect in lower left corner!

Old Oregon White Oak in background.

Blossoms measure about 1 - 1.5 inches across.

Seeds - via Wikipedia

Links:

UK Wildflower Site

Salmonberry

When you walk the forest trails this time of year in western Oregon, there are dozens of native flowering plants along the way. If your trek takes you near a creek or or drainage area, you'll probably see a good deal of Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). It's blooming right now in most lowland areas (4/10/2014) and will bear fruit that ripens in May and June.

Most Oregonians who take to the trails are already familiar with many of the Rubus genus, which includes Thimbleberry, Black Raspberry, and Himalayan Blackberry among others. Who hasn't stopped along the way to chow down on the ripe berries of summer?! 

Salmonberry have a long history of use by our native peoples in the Northwest. Both the young shoots and the berries were used extensively; the berries are some of the first to ripen, making them a good choice for early harvesting. They are typically too watery to dry, but were often mixed with nuts or salmon oil and/or salmon, hence the common name. To this day, the practice continues. 

Some describe the berry taste as insipid, but like most berries it really depends on when they are picked and how ripe they are. There are numerous recipes on the Internet for incorporating the berries. I remember having some tasty, expensive, Salmonberry jam not too long after we moved here!

The blossoms have a unique pinkish-purple color, and open slowly, almost like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon. We spotted these along one of the trails at Hoyt Arboretum in Portland recently. I'll update this page to add the berries in June or so...

Related Links:

Salmonberry Cusine

Salmonberry Wikipedia

Climate Musings and Toothworts

Last year (2013), March was one of the driest on record, with only half the average amount of precipitation. This year, March had double the average, making it the third wettest on record. Go figure! On a positive note, all that rain kept the tree pollen down to a breathable level!

Last Fall saw some of the coldest temperatures in decades and in February we had ten inches of snow that lasted a week - also a rare event in western Oregon. In spite of these oddities, we had more sunny streaks than average with dry spells, which seemed to accelerate some of the wildflower blooming. As of this early April date, things may be back to the average blooming timetable, proving once again that you can't fool Mother Nature!

Meanwhile, I once again seem to be capturing more blooms than I can blog about, so this post is your "buffet style" entry. As the trilliums start to wane, the Oaks Toothworts (what a strange name!) are popping up all over! These little plants can be easily missed, so keep your eyes on the ground when out on the semi-open trails.

I'm trying to stick to new captures now and hope to start building the master index of species soon. Probably should have done that in the winter...

Giant Purple Wakerobin - Trillium kurabayashii - Jackson Bottom in Vic's Grove.
Interestingly, these are listed as native (in So. Ore.) and rare in the Turner guide.

Baby Blue Eyes - Nemophila menziesii - native at Jackson Bottom.

Golden Current -  Ribes aureum - native at Jackson Bottom.
Not as showy as the Reds, but striking nonetheless.

Common Periwinkle - Vinca minor - non-native, but widely naturalized.
We have these in a shady spot in our yard.

Oaks Toothwort - Cardamine nuttallii - native - Cooper Mountain
 Nature Reserve

Hooker's Willow

Here's another local shrub that is a good indicator for the arrival of Spring. This time of year, Hooker's Willow (Salix hookeriana) resembles several other willow shrubs, commonly called Pussy Willows. Hooker's Willow is our Pacific Northwest native plant, that blooms out with long yellow "bottle brush" like capsules. Prior to that, the capsules are covered with the soft fur coat likeness, hence the common names.

Like other willows, Hooker's lives near the water's edge, by lowland lakes and wetlands. Several local Native American tribes used the young peeled bark to make fiber strands for rope and fishing lines. The long, straight branches were used for poles and fish grates.

Florists commonly use these willows as accents for their arrangements. As kids, I remember using these branches to tickle the cousins endlessly! 

We spotted these blooming at Jackson Bottom Wetlands, 4/02/2014.

Pre-bloom coats. Note the tiny leaves emerging.

Blooming capsule.

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