Mountain Plants of the Western Cascades

tall bluebells (Mertensia paniculata) growing along the road

On Thursday, June 7, I had planned to check out another unexplored meadow in the Rigdon area that looks like a potential spot for purple milkweed (Asclepias cordifolia). Sheila Klest accompanied me. Neither Sheila nor I had slept well the night before, and as we drove by the road which accessed the meadow, we could see it was bermed off. While I had anticipated that we might have to walk the 1.5 miles or so down the road, at that moment, it was the just the deterrent I needed to say, “Let’s forget about it for now and head up to Bristow Prairie!” which was only a few miles drive farther up the main Road 2125. We never regretted the decision. After weeks of looking at drying out low-elevation meadows, it was so refreshing and relaxing being up in lush, freshly blooming, high elevations of the Calapooya Mountains. While we didn’t find anything new and exciting, it was just what we both needed. Here are some photographic highlights.

We’d never seen so many larkspur (Delphinium menziesii). Here they were in the rock garden area, but they were just as abundant in the meadows.

Frosty paintbrush (Castilleja pruinosa) lit up the rocky hillside.

A male Sara’s orangetip sat still long enough to have his photo taken—a rare occurrence.

There was an outstanding display of large-flowered blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia grandiflora) in the rock garden area.

At the end of the day, I always enjoy the view from the road alongside Bristow Prairie. Mountain shooting stars (Dodecatheon jeffreyi) and marsh marigold (Caltha leptosepala) were still hanging on in a damp spot.

Great polemonium (Polemonium carneum) was at peak bloom; it’s gorgeous peachy blossoms just starting to fade to pinky purple.