Lyle Cherry Orchard Preserve- March 2024

Spring is in the air, and I took advantage of the sunny day by heading out to my favorite place - the Columbia River Gorge. First, I stopped by Catherine Creek to check out the early blooming grass widows, then spent the day hiking up the Lyle Cherry Orchard Preserve in Lyle, WA. I've been meaning to check this spot out, but when I heard about it last year in September, most of the wildflowers had already come and gone. I was amazed by the number of wildflowers blooming so early in the year. I've been eagerly anticipating the start of spring, and it's been hard to be patient, lol! The feeling of exploring a new place and seeing familiar species always brings me the most joy. Here are a few observations from today's outing:

Balsamorhiza sp.

Balsamorhiza sp.

Lomatium columbianum - endemic to columbia gorge

Lomatium columbianum

Crocidium multicaule

Claytonia lancelolata

Lomatium papiloniferum

Aphyllon purpureum - cool parastic species

Collinsia parviflorum

Fritillaria pudica

Hydrophyllum capitatum

Ranunculus occidentalis

Lithophragma glabrum

Pinus ponderosa