05/19/2026
Always dreaming of those tiny early wildflowers in the gorge. 🥹
Vernal pools created by shallow soil deposits over hard basalt rock creates suitable habitat during the rainy season. That moisture carries over for several months allowing for an impressive display of different wildflowers in an otherwise pretty dry area. Depending on the year, some flowers get started as early as January!
From wiki:
Crocidium multicaule is a species of plants in the daisy family known by the common name spring gold. This plant is native to western North America from British Columbia to California, where it can be found in varied habitats from grassland to woodland. It is a small annual, typically not exceeding 30 centimeters in height. It grows from a small patch of somewhat fleshy leaves at the ground and erects several very tall, very thin gangly
Lomatium piperi is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Indian biscuitroot (and called mámɨn in the local Sahaptin language). It is native to the Northwestern United States and northern California, where it grows in sagebrush and plateau habitat, and the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains.
