14 Spring 2021 Applegater
Early blooming wildflowers in the Applegate
BY SUZIE SAVOIE
The cheerful sight of spring wildflowers
enlivens the soul after a long, cold winter.
With warm, sunny days ahead, it’s time
to get out and enjoy the spectacular
early blooming wildflowers on display
throughout the Applegate. After flowering
and setting seed, these species will go
completely dormant in the summer, an
adaptation for surviving the Applegate’s
dry summer months.
Douglas’ grasswidow
Olsynium douglasii
One of the earliest wildflowers to
bloom in the spring, Douglas’ grasswidow
inhabits rocky, vernally wet places that
turn very dry in the summer. You will
see it growing on dry, rocky bluffs, in
meadows, and in open oak woodlands
from low to mid elevations. Early season
native bees appreciate the early blooms of
grasswidows.
Indian warrior
Pedicularis densiflora
The much-loved, bright red flowers of
Indian warrior stand out in early spring.
Native only in Oregon and California, this
perennial wildflower is in the broomrape
family, and, like other plants in the genus
Pedicularis, it is parasitic. Indian warrior
attaches to the roots of other plants,
most often plants in the heath family,
like manzanita and madrone, in order to
obtain nutrients and water. It is considered
a hemiparasite because parasitism isn’t
necessary for its survival, but it takes the
opportunity to parasitize when it can in
order to increase its survivability and vigor.
Indian warrior grows at low elevations in
oak woodland, mixed conifer forest, and
chaparral in the Applegate, primarily from
Humbug Creek and Thompson Creek,
through Williams and North Applegate.
Henderson’s fawn lily
Erythronium hendersonii
A springtime display of thousands of
Henderson’s fawn lilies carpeting an oak
woodland is sure to bring a smile to your
face. An endemic species in southwest
Oregon where it is abundant, Henderson’s
fawn lily is listed as a rare and sensitive
species in California, where its population
is very limited. The pinkish purple to
lavender flower color is distinctive among
fawn lilies in the West, where most are
white to yellow. Henderson’s fawn lily
can be found growing in dry, open oak or
madrone woodland, mixed woodland, or
pine forest.
Pacific hound’s tongue
Cynoglossum grande
This early-blooming native perennial
wildflower in the borage family prefers
to grow in light, dappled shade and
is commonly found growing beneath
Oregon white oak. The striking foliage
of hound’s tongue is followed by one- to
two-foot flowering stalks with bold, blue
flowers and white centers that resemble
forget-me-nots. The uniquely intense blue
flower color, with distinct white centers,
may have evolved to help pollinators zero
in on the pollen. Hound’s tongue attracts
native bees and hummingbirds and is a
larval host plant for the hound’s tongue
woolly bear moth.
Nuttall’s larkspur
Delphinium nuttallianum
This cheerful, widely distributed, and
variable larkspur is low-growing, generally
one to two feet, with deeply lobed leaves
and a spurred, dark purple to light blue
flower. Loved by many pollinators,
meadow larkspur can be found in low-
elevation open meadows, dry grasslands,
chaparral, open woodlands, and at edges
of forests or near streams.
Common lomatium
Lomatium utriculatum
Common lomatium is also referred to
as spring gold because of its early spring,
bright yellow flowers. This perennial
wildflower is a member of the carrot family
and is native to western North America.
It grows in many habitat types, including
chaparral, oak woodland, sunny open
slopes, dry meadows, and openings in
coniferous forest. Common lomatium is
a larval host plant for the anise swallowtail
butterfly. Many small pollinating insects
are attracted to the yellow umbel flowers.
It has long been used as a traditional
food by Native American tribes and as a
medicinal plant.
Henderson’s shooting star
Dodecatheon hendersonii
An inhabitant of open woodlands,
cheerful Henderson’s shooting stars are
neighborhood wildflowers for many in the
Applegate. The unique, nodding, vibrant
magenta flowers arise from a tuber-like
root. Henderson’s shooting star requires
“buzz pollination” from bees for successful
pollination and seed production, and
bumble bees are their primary pollinator.
Western trillium
Trillium ovatum
Western trillium is an elegant, highly
revered, and endearing wildflower that is
native to the western United States. The
early spring blooms of Western trillium
Douglas’ grasswidow is one of the earliest
wildflowers to bloom in the spring.
Photo: Suzie Savoie.
are unmistakable. The large white petals
are one-half to three inches long, fading
to pink or dark magenta as they age.
Western trillium inhabits moist mixed
conifer forest, oak woodland, and riparian
areas in the Applegate. It grows from a
slowly spreading rhizome and prefers part
shade or dappled sunlight and moist, rich
soil with good drainage. The flowers are
attractive to many pollinators, including
bumblebees, moths, and beetles. The seeds
are distributed by ants and yellowjackets
which are attracted to the fleshy seed coat.
Suzie Savoie
klamathsiskiyou@gmail.com
Photo, left: Common lomatium is a member of the carrot family. Photo, center: Henderson’s shooting stars are
neighborhood wildflowers for many in the Applegate. Photo, right: Western trillium’s seeds are distributed by ants and yellowjackets. Photos: Suzie Savoie.
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