Photo: Land Trust.

Spring Wildflowers in Central Oregon

May 04, 2023 by Jana Hemphill
Spring has arrived and brought a rainbow of colors along with it! From the most vibrant of yellows to the palest of pinks, keep an eye out for these spring wildflowers the next time you're outside!

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Do you have questions, kudos, or other feedback? Let us know: info@deschuteslandtrust.org

Spring has arrived and brought a rainbow of colors along with it! From the most vibrant of yellows to the palest of pinks, keep an eye out for these spring wildflowers the next time you're outside!

 

Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva)

Other common names: none

An absolute showstopper in our high desert! Bitterroot have a green rosette of small, fleshy leaves (keep an eye out for these before the flower blooms!). Flowers are a vibrant deep rose, pink, or sometimes white, up to 2" wide. Bitterroot blooms very close to the ground. The plants remain dormant through the summer. Bitterroot is named for Merriwether Lewis, who collected the first specimens in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana in 1806. The plant is widespread in the western US and grows in dry shrublands.

Bloom time: All spring

Land Trust Preserves: You can spot bitterroot at the Land Trust protected Alder Springs and during our Walks + Hikes at Coffer Ranch and Willow Springs Preserve.

Photo: Land Trust.
Photo: Land Trust.

 

Prairie star (Lithophragma parviflorum)

Other common names: Prairie rockstar, Prairie woodland-star

Reminding us that nature is fragile, this early bloomer has a delicate, white to lavender-pink, irregular flower atop a slender red stem. Prairie stars are found in sagebrush flats to pine forests. Flowers have five petals that are 1/4" long atop a 4-12" tall stem.

Bloom time: Early spring

Land Trust Preserves: You can see prairie stars at Whychus Canyon Preserve or on a Land Trust outing at Priday Ranch.

Photo: Joan Amero.
Photo: Joan Amero.

 

Sand lily (Leucocrinum monatanum)

Other common names: Common starlily

Scattered along sagebrush flats and pine forests, sand lilies can often look like bunches of tissue paper dotting your view. It grows in rosette-like bunches with 4-8 white flowers per bunch. Flowers have six petals; leaves are 4-8" long, flat, and linear.

Bloom time: Late spring

Land Trust Preserves: You can see sand lilies at most Land Trust Preserves! Look for them at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve, Indian Ford Meadow Preserve, and Whychus Canyon Preserve. While out on our Walks + Hikes, you can also spot them at Rimrock Ranch and Willow Springs Preserve.

Photo: Darlene Ashley.
Photo: Darlene Ashley.

 

Spotted fritillary (Fritillaria atropurpurea)

Other common names: Spotted mountain bells, leopard lily

Perhaps one of our most unusual lilies, the spotted fritillary is brown to greenish in color with yellow, red, or white markings. They grow in grasslands or Cascade foothill forests and can be hard to spot because of their subdued color. But just because they are subdued doesn't mean they aren't stunning! The beautiful spotting and delicate petals easily make up for less showy colors. Flowers hang downward or facing outward with 1-3 blooms per stalk.

Bloom time: Late spring - early summer

Land Trust Preserves: You can see spotted fritillary at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve, Metolius Preserve, Metolius River Preserve, and Whychus Canyon Preserve.

Photo: Land Trust.
Photo: Land Trust.

 

Spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa)

Other common names: Mat phlox

This low-growing flower prefers rocky crevices and exposed locations. These beauties always astound with their pop of color—flowers have five pink-purple-white petals (and can often be neon pink!). Adapted to extreme environments, cushion-like plants like phlox often have taproots 8-15' deep!

Bloom time: Spring

Land Trust Preserves: You can spot phlox at Whychus Canyon Preserve and at the Land Trust protected Alder Springs. Join a Land Trust outing to see these wildflowers at Priday Ranch, Rimrock Ranch, and Willow Springs Preserve.

Photo: Land Trust.
Photo: Land Trust.

 

While spring wildflowers can be fleeting (and bloom at variable times based on any number of environmental factors—like late winters!), we hope you enjoy the rainbow of colors that nature provides this time of year! Happy wildflower viewing!

 

**Although we make every effort to be accurate in our flower identification, it is often difficult to tell the differences between subspecies from a photo.**

 

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