Cherry Orchard Wild Flowers Portland Hikes Bloomscrolling April 14, 2025 It's definitely spring in the Columbia Gorge, at least the far eastern part near The Dalles. On Sunday, I hiked the Cherry Orchard trail near Lyle on the Washington side of the river. It's a little early yet, but the bright sunflower-yellow balsamroots were already in full bloom. As you can see from the photos, some of the exposed hillsides were covered in the blooms. Several other smaller flowers were in bloom as well. I even found a very pretty little orchid in the forest lower down, but didn't get a decent picture of it. A single clump of Balsamroot A trail though a large field of flowers, with a view of the Columbia Gorge.
Tiger Lilies Among all the flowers one encounters along the trails this time of year, Tiger Lilies are my favorite. A stem full of tiger lilies.
Magnolia More flowers are breaking out in Washington park. This singular magnolia is one of my favorites, with its vivd magenta blooms. There's a whole section of magnolias a short distance away in Hoyt Arboretum, but I don't think it includes this spectacular specimen.
Trillium Like many in the Pacific Northwest, I keep a lookout along the trails for trillium. The little plants that sprout from the forest floor are widely viewed as a harbinger of spring. This dense patch of small plants was spotted in the Cloud Forest section of Washington Park.
Foggy Forest Back in Portland, it's definitely fall. If we're lucky, foggy mornings are followed by a few hours of sun. This photo is from 2019, I think it's Marquam Hill. Foggy Forest
Birch Trail One of my favorite close-in hikes in up Holman lane and down Birch Trail. You can extend it if you want with several different options to get back to your starting point. In late summer, the light in the afternoon is always very beautiful.