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Wildflower Talk

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Wildflower Talk Wildflower Talk These are a series of short articles written by Kristen Currin of Humble Roots Native Plant Nursery in Mosier, Oregon, featuring plants from around the Columbia Gorge. Each of these articles appeared in an issue of the Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District’s newsletter, GROUNDWORK. I hope you enjoy them. All photos are courtesy of Kristen Currin. Please ask permission before using. www.humblerootsnursery.com Nothing in this document is to be construed as medical advice. A licensed herbalist should be consulted for proper identification and preparation before eating those plants designated as edible. Humble Roots Nursery nor the Conservation District are liable for improper consumption of plants listed in this document. INDEX Arnica, Heart-Leaf Glacier Lily Phlox, Cushion Bachelor Buttons Goldenrod Pineapple Weed Balsamroot Grass Widow Prairie Stars Bitterroot Indian Hemp Rabbitbrush (sp) Buckwheat, Arrowleaf Juniper Rabbitbrush, Gray Buckwheat, Snow Larkspur, Upland Rose, Wild California Poppy Kinnickinick Saxifrage Cattail Mariposa Lily Serviceberry Ceanothus Milkweed, Showy Shooting Star, Poet’s Chocolate Lily Miner’s Lettuce Sumac, Smooth Columbia Coreopsis Mugwort, Western Wapato Currant, Golden Native Shrubs Washington Lily Dutchman’s Breeches Nettle, Stinging Western Bunchberry Desert Parsley, Columbia Oceanspray Yellow Bee Plant Desert Parsley, Gray’s Oregon Grape Yellow Bells Elderberry, Blue Pearly Everlasting Yellow Star Thistle Gairdners Yampah Phantom Orchid 1 TOP Page Heart-leaf Arnica Arnica cordifolia Look for arnica's yellow flowers in spring. Arnica is an important native medicinal plant used topically to soothe sore muscles and sprains. A woodland plant and a good choice for the shady xeric garden. Bachelor Buttons, Cornflower Centaurea cyanus Many may think this beautiful blue flower is a native plant due to the fact that it dominates many of our meadows and is commonly sold in wildflower seed mixes. However this pretty annual is listed as a noxious weed in Oregon and has been introduced to North America from Europe. Studies show that some wildflower seed mixes may contain as many as 13 species of noxious weeds, so take care when planting seed to be sure your 'wildflowers' are truly meant to be growing wild in your area. Balsamroot Balsamorhiza sp. Most people in the Gorge are well acquainted with Balsamroot which carpets the hills in spring with yellow, sunflower-like blooms. The entire plant is edible and the seeds can be substituted for sunflower seeds. Medicinally important, the root can provide an excellent cough syrup. Balsamroot takes many years to mature and may live to be 100 years old!! Look for swallowtail butterflies enjoying the nectar. TOP 2 Page Bitterroot Lewisia rediviva Growing in rocky slopes and dry, exposed sites you will find this important and beautiful PNW native wildflower. Bitterroot has small, succulent foliage and large showy flowers from late spring to mid- summer which vary in color from deep pink to white. The stout taproots have been an important and ceremonial food source for thousands of years. Snow Buckwheat Eriogonum niveum A very late blooming and showy native shrublet, Snow Buckwheat has light grey foliage and bright white to pink flowers in late summer through fall. Growing in sunny, dry areas, this plant is very important for native pollinators and wildlife. There are many species of Eriogonums native to Wasco County, and all of them are highly beneficial to pollinators. California Poppy Eschscholzia californica A familiar plant in the Gorge, and self-seeding perennial, California Poppy is a beautiful and brightly colored native wildflower. A variety of different cultivars have been bred for gardens from the approximately ten species of this genus which are all native to Western North America. The orange flowers of California Poppy are edible and attractive in salads, while its roots are medicinal. 3 TOP Page Common Cattail Typha latifolia A native wetland plant, Cattail may be one of the most useful plants in our local herbaria. Edible parts include the starchy roots and young shoots, green shoot tips, immature flower spikes and even its pollen. Cattail have medicinal uses and were traditionally used for thatching and bedding. These plants have the ability to filter toxins from water and create important wildlife habitat. Columbia Coreopsis Coreopsis tinctoria var. atkinsoniana Lewis and Clark documented this beautiful wildflower of the Columbia River shores. Multiple yellow flowers, often with red near the centers, bloom continuously from summer to fall. This plant is sun loving and, since it is a denizen of sandy river shores, prefers well-drained soil and 'wet-feet'. Visit the Oregon Plant Atlas (www.oregonflora.org/atlas.php) to see that this is a beautiful native wildflower. Golden Currant Ribes aureum A deciduous, native shrub found mainly east of the Cascades, but also able to grow on the wetter west side. One of the earliest plants to flower and thus important for native pollinators. Bright yellow flowers hang in clusters and turn orange once pollinated or with age. Flowers give way to purple-red fruits which are by far the most delicious of currants-even tastier than common garden currants. High in pectin, fruits can be used in jams and jellies. Cold hardy, drought tolerant. Sun to light shade. Attracts birds and hummingbirds. TOP 4 Page Columbia Desert Parsley Lomatium columbianum A stunning, endemic, Gorge wonder of a wildflower. One of the few purple flowering desert parsleys. The umbrella-like blooms emerge early, often before the blue-green coral-like foliage. This plant prefers sun and requires a dry summer dormancy. Great for butterflies, but, unlike most other desert parsleys, has no record of edible or medicinal use. Gray's Desert-Parsley Lomatium grayi There is a wonderful, spicy scent in the air when Gray's Desert-Parsley blooms. The bright yellow, umbelled flowers of this fragrant member of the carrot family are a familiar sight in spring. This native perennial grows from a long taproot in dry, rocky areas and is attractive to butterflies and pollinators. Although edible, proper identification is important to avoid poisonous plants that may look similar. Dutchman's Breeches Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman's Breeches, a relative of the common Bleeding Heart, is an uncommon native of the Columbia Gorge. Named for its unusual white flowers, the fern-like foliage makes this a very delicate and graceful wildflower. Blooming as early as March, D. cucullaria will also go completely dormant by summer, not to be found again until the next spring. TOP 5 Page Blue Elderberry Sambucus nigra subsp. cerulea Beautiful, medicinal, edible, great for wildlife, pollinators and the xeric landscape. Although the leaves and stems are toxic, the berries & flowers are edible. Blue elder berries have a powdery, natural yeast, coating, are antiviral and used to make delicious jams, wine and cough syrup. Flowers are a natural wrinkle remedy, can be used in teas or fried as fritters. The seeds of blue elderberry are toxic in large quantities if not cooked. Do not confuse with Red Elderberry which is not edible. Gairdner's Yampah Perideridia gairdneri Nearly invisible until flowering, look for the delicate, white umbelled flowers of Gairdner's Yampah amongst dry grasses in meadows and forest clearings in late summer. Yampah is an important historical food source. It has been so highly prized as a food plant that it has been over harvested in some areas. The small roots, seeds and leaves can all be eaten or used in cooking. Yampah is a member of the parsley family, a family which contains numerous toxic species, so proper identification is important with this plant. Glacier Lily Erythronium grandiflorum Sometimes called dogtooth violets, these large, graceful, yellow flowers bloom in meadows and woodlands in early spring. These plants grow from bulb-like corms which are edible. Cooking improves digestibility and flavor, but like many edible PNW lilies, they should be considered only a survival food and are best left to flower beautifully in the forest. TOP 6 Page Goldenrod Solidago sp. Often snubbed due to the mistaken belief that goldenrod causes hayfever, this plant is one of the most overlooked of natives. Edible, medicinal and very important for bees and beneficial insects, goldenrod adds color and greenery to the garden as it blooms late in the season, often into the fall. Many species of goldenrod are native to the Pacific Northwest and can be found in our area. Grass Widow Olsynium douglasii (was Sisyrinchium douglasii) One of the earliest blooms in the Gorge and a small member of the iris family. Usually found in sunny places that are wet in spring and dry in summer. Magenta to pink flowers and grass-like leaves. Look for the occasional 'albino', white bloom in February. A true harbinger of spring! Indian Hemp Apocynum cannabinum Growing along the edges of wetlands, this native perennial plant starts blooming in early summer. Known for its fibrous stems which are used for netting and basketry, Indian Hemp is wonderfully fragrant. Bees who visit its clusters of small, pale flowers may make a superior, colorless honey. Indian Hemp provides wonderful fall color, spreads vigorously by rhizomes, is toxic to livestock and may have potential as a biofuel. TOP 7 Page Kinnickinick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Kinnickinnick is a low-growing, evergreen shrub with pink, bell-shaped flowers and red berries. Kinnickinnick has edible and medicinal properties and is an important plant to First Nations people. Its other name, Bearberry, comes from its berries being a favored food of bears as well as other wildlife. This native shrub and its cultivars are popular for use in landscaping. Upland Larkspur Delphinium nuttallianum Ranging from the Cascade to Rocky Mountains and hybridizing with other larkspurs along the way, this variable species of Delphinium is one of our more attractive native wildflowers.
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