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  • One of many of the wondrous sub-alpine wildflowers found in the Pacific Northwest, this Colombian lily (also known as the small-flowered tiger lily) was found growing high up in the Cascade Mountains in Steven's Pass near the tree line on a cool August day.
    Columbia Lily
  • This rare natural waterfall is found on the edge of the Osceola National Forest in Columbia County,  north of Lake City. This is just one of the many extraordinary sights to be seen in rural Florida!
    Falling Creek Falls
  • Forest downstream from Falling Creek Falls in the Osceola National Forest, north of Lake City in Columbia County, Fl. The creek was dry when we visited due to drought.
    Falling Creek Falls
  • This charasmatic little lizard was found sunning on an old plank in Suwannee County, Florida. These lizards are shockingly fast!
    Eastern Fence Lizard
  • Belonging to the family of wildflowers known as umbellifers that includes carrots, dill and celery, this just-about-to-blossom Columbia desert parsley is an uncommon native to the sagebrush steppes of Washington State and Oregon east of the Cascade Mountains. This one was found growing on the hilltops just outside of Yakima, Washington in mid-March.
    Columbia Desert Parsley
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • To the joy of anyone hiking in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest as far east as Montana, the Columbia lily (also known as the tiger lily) is easily one of the prettiest of our native wildflowers that commonly grow along mountain trails. This was one of hundreds found growing below Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park in Washington State.
    Columbia Lily
  • Very cool-looking and unusual as far as your average orbweaver spider goes, the arrow-shaped orbweaver has a very bizarre and trianglular-shaped spiky abdomen. Harmless to humans, they can be found across most of the eastern half of the United States, the southern tip of Ontario and almost all of Mexico. This one was found in rural North-Central Florida along the banks of the Suwannee River.
    Arrow-shaped Orbweaver
  • Close-up of the delicate flowers and gentle twist up the flower spike.
    Southern Oval Ladies'-Tresses (Spira..lis)
  • Big Shoals along the Suwannee River in North Florida. Panorama photo composed of five stitched images.
    Big Shoals
  • Limestone cliff with waterfall north of Lake City, Florida. I heard this waterfall long before I found it in the woods!
    Falling Creek Falls
  • This particular beauty stands out to me for its simple symmetry. Most Spiranthes orchids have flowers that spiral around the stalk (or spike) but this one carries its flowers in three almost vertical columns, with a slight spiral.
    Southern Oval Ladies'-Tresses (Spira..lis)
  • Southern oval ladies'-tresses, also known as October ladies' tresses blooming in an isolated forest in North Florida. This particular orchid is quite hard to find, and has a cool feature - instead of the usual corkscrew spiraling of flowers, the flowers bloom in three straight rows. Very cool-looking from above - almost triangular!
    Southern Oval Ladies'-Tresses (Spira..lis)
  • In this particular very isolated location in North Florida, I found about fifty-five of these rare orchids.
    Southern Oval Ladies'-Tresses (Spira..lis)
  • Close-up with detail view of the self-pollinating flowers.
    Northern Oval Ladies'-Tresses (Spira..ata)
  • The swelling green seedpods and the never-to-open flowers of the northern oval ladies'-tresses. This is because this orchid (var. erostellata) is self-pollinating and does not require an insect pollinator.
    Northern Oval Ladies'-Tresses (Spira..ata)
  • A beam of late afternoon sunlight hits this natural waterfall in an old hammock in North Florida.
    Falling Creek Falls
  • The large-flowered collomia is a member of the phlox family that is associated with dry soils and often mountain slopes from mid to low elevation. Found throughout most of the western states and north into British Columbia, it is easily recognizable by the (usually) salmon-orange flowers with blue pollen on its five anthers. This one was found growing on a hilly slope among ponderosa pines near the Columbia River in rural Douglas County, Washington.
    Large-flowered Collomia
  • The large-flowered collomia is a member of the phlox family that is associated with dry soils and often mountain slopes from mid to low elevation. Found throughout most of the western states and north into British Columbia, it is easily recognizable by the (usually) salmon-orange flowers with blue pollen on its five anthers. This one was found growing on a hilly slope among ponderosa pines near the Columbia River in rural Douglas County, Washington.
    Large-flowered Collomia
  • The large-flowered collomia is a member of the phlox family that is associated with dry soils and often mountain slopes from mid to low elevation. Found throughout most of the western states and north into British Columbia, it is easily recognizable by the (usually) salmon-orange flowers with blue pollen on its five anthers. This one was found growing on a hilly slope among ponderosa pines near the Columbia River in rural Douglas County, Washington.
    Large-flowered Collomia
  • The energetic and tiny clouded slipper butterfly is a common southeastern butterfly that is mostly found year-round in Florida and Texas and can be found as far south as Columbia. This one was feeding on rose vervain just next to the Rio Grande under some mesquite trees in Hidalgo County, Texas on the US-Mexico border.
    Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
  • The energetic and tiny clouded slipper butterfly is a common southeastern butterfly that is mostly found year-round in Florida and Texas and can be found as far south as Columbia. This one was feeding on rose vervain just next to the Rio Grande under some mesquite trees in Hidalgo County, Texas on the US-Mexico border.
    Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
  • This tough, woody shrub is common in the most arid regions of the American and Canadian West, and is a member of the rose family. Attractive in the spring when it is overloaded with small yellow flowers, it is often found with balsamroot species in sagebrush desert habitats, and is an important food source for deer. This one was photographed in Central Washington in Kittitas County near the Columbia River.
    Antelope Bitterbrush
  • Common St. Johnswort is found in most places in North America except the coldest regions or the driest of deserts. It is traditionally used as an herbal medicine for treating depression. This was photographed near the Oregon-Washington border just north of the Columbia River in Washington's Klickitat County.
    St. John's Wort
  • Closeup of the densely packed flowers of the elegant piperia orchid. Looking very similar to ladies-tresses orchids, these distant relatives are found in very scattered locations from British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Northern California. This one was found in early summer in Washington's Klickitat County.
    Elegant Piperia (Piperia elegans)
  • The Audubon’s yellow-rumped warbler is a subspecies of the common yellow-rumped warbler and is found primarily on North America’s west coast. A bit of confusion exists in regards to the exact taxonomy of this species, and it’s very likely to be changed into its own distinct species. This adult breeding male was photographed in Central Washington above the Columbia River in Kittitas County at the top of a cliff several hundred feet high.
    Audubon's Yellow-rumped Warbler
  • The metalic green underside of a little bear beetle in sagebrush country near the Columbia River in Kittitas County, Washington.
    Little Bear Beetle
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-12.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-6.jpg
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-1.jpg
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • Given its somewhat similar appearance and fragrance to an orange blossom (besides the four petals vs. the orange's five) the mock-orange is the State Flower of Idaho and is native to Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia and Alberta. First collected by Meriwether Lewis himself on the famous Lewis and CLark expedition to find an overland route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, it was later named after him in his honor. This one was found growing halfway up a steep arroyo above the Cowiche Creek in Yakima County, WA.
    Mock-Orange
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-11.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-10.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-8.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-9.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-7.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-5.jpg
  • Close-up look of one of my favorite native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid. It is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-3.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-4.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-2.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-1.jpg
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-3.jpg
  • Close-up view of the slender white piperia orchids, easily distinguished from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-2.jpg
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • The giant helleborine orchid (Epipactis gigantea), also commonly known as the stream orchid and even chatterbox is found sporadically throughout the western half of the United States, with a northerly range just barely reaching into Southern British Columbia. It is also the only helleborine native to North America.  Nearly always found in wetlands in a highly variable range of habitats from conifer forests to sagebrush deserts, it also seems to tolerate a wide range of soils. These were found just south the Dry Falls area of Washington's Grant County in multiple places in the Sun Lakes, just at the edge of the water. On this day more than five thousand orchids were in bloom on a scorching hot spring day, most of them (but not all) sheltered by cottonwoods.
    Giant Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis ..tea)
  • This beautiful globe gilia is a native member of the phlox family and found throughout most of the western states and British Columbia and the Yukon in where the soils tend to be sandy or rocky. This one was found with a small number of others on an open forest slope near the eastern shore of Lake Wenatchee in Chelan County, Washington.
    Globe Gilia
  • Edible Indian plums growing in a wooded area in Southern King County in Washington, ready to eat! These small native fruits grow west of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest from British Columbia to California. Caution is recommended as in all wild edibles, as the distinct flavor in these fruits (like that in almonds) comes from high amounts of hydrogen cyanide. Best practice - consume in moderation.
    Indian Plums
  • Found all over western North America plus Michigan and West Virginia, this native flax is found as far north as Alaska and the Northwest Territories in Canada, all the way south to Mexico's Baja California. It prefers dry climates in open grasslands, sagebrush steppes and both ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests. It has been recorded that the Nlaka'pamux Indians of Southern British Columbia and Northern Washington State used to boil parts of this plant to make a hair and scalp tonic. This one was found in growing along the side of Umtanum Creek below the Cascade Mountains north of Yakima, Washington.
    Western Blue Flax
  • The Palouse River is a somewhat short river in southeastern Washington that joins the Snake River, which in turn joins the mighty Columbia River that forms the border between Washington and Oregon. It is best known for it's magnificent waterfall - Palouse Falls.
    Palouse River
  • The Palouse River is a somewhat short river in southeastern Washington that joins the Snake River, which in turn joins the mighty Columbia River that forms the border between Washington and Oregon. It is best known for it's magnificent waterfall - Palouse Falls.
    Palouse River
  • The Palouse River is a somewhat short river in southeastern Washington that joins the Snake River, which in turn joins the mighty Columbia River that forms the border between Washington and Oregon. It is best known for it's magnificent waterfall - Palouse Falls.
    Palouse River
  • The Oregon forestsnail (not forest snail) is a long-lived, slow-moving animal that is food for many other animals and is found in the western part of Oregon and Washington states, north into extreme southwestern British Columbia - where it is listed as an endangered species (and is listed as vulnerable for the US). This one was found just on the western side of the Cascade Mountains in King County, Washington.
    Oregon Forestsnail (Allogona townsen..ana)
  • Primarily found in Central America and Mexico, the band-celled sister (also known as the Mexican sister) is a beautiful brushfoot butterfly related to admiral butterflies. It has a range that extends from the very southern tip of Texas to Columbia and Venezuela where it feeds on nectar from Cordia, Croton, and Baccharis flowers, and sometimes rotting fruit. This one was photographed on a hot summer day near Weslaco, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley.
    Band-celled Sister
  • Primarily found in Central America and Mexico, the band-celled sister (also known as the Mexican sister) is a beautiful brushfoot butterfly related to admiral butterflies. It has a range that extends from the very southern tip of Texas to Columbia and Venezuela where it feeds on nectar from Cordia, Croton, and Baccharis flowers, and sometimes rotting fruit. This one was photographed on a hot summer day near Weslaco, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley.
    Band-celled Sister
  • Primarily found in Central America and Mexico, the band-celled sister (also known as the Mexican sister) is a beautiful brushfoot butterfly related to admiral butterflies. It has a range that extends from the very southern tip of Texas to Columbia and Venezuela where it feeds on nectar from Cordia, Croton, and Baccharis flowers, and sometimes rotting fruit. This one was photographed on a hot summer day near Weslaco, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley.
    Band-celled Sister
  • Like many skipper butterflies which are often brown or have dull or muted coloration, the brown longtail skipper is not usually recognized for what it is and often mistaken for a moth. This neotropical skipper is found all over Central America, Columbia and Peru, and in scattered populations across South America, particularly along the coast in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. In North America, its range extends into North America just into the south tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, where this one was found and photographed near Weslaco, Texas.
    Brown Longtail Skipper (Spicauda procne)
  • The energetic and tiny clouded slipper butterfly is a common southeastern butterfly that is mostly found year-round in Florida and Texas and can be found as far south as Columbia. This one was feeding on a bright red heart leaf hibiscus flower on the side of a road in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge near Alamo, Texas.
    Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
  • Western maidenhair ferns are one of the most attractive and distinctive-looking ferns found in North America. It grows on moist hillsides, ravines is most common near waterfalls, and is found in the wild in all of the western American states, British Columbia, and scattered locations in the northeast, the Great Lakes and Quebec. These were found about 15 miles to the Northwest of Mount Rainier on a rock wall over the Carbon River Washington State.
    Western Maidenhair Fern
  • Western maidenhair ferns are one of the most attractive and distinctive-looking ferns found in North America. It grows on moist hillsides, ravines is most common near waterfalls, and is found in the wild in all of the western American states, British Columbia, and scattered locations in the northeast, the Great Lakes and Quebec. These were found about 15 miles to the Northwest of Mount Rainier on a rock wall over the Carbon River Washington State.
    Western Maidenhair Fern
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 1
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 3
  • A favorite food source for hummingbirds, butterflies and moths, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • A favorite food source for hummingbirds, butterflies and moths, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • A close-up view of the interesting fused leaves that form a disk around the honeysuckles flowers (or buds in this case). This native vine is found all over much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle Buds
  • Getting their name from the sweet nectar produced by their beautiful bright red-orange flowers and tube-like flowers, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. These were found growing on a bright summer day overlooking the Puget Sound on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • Getting their name from the sweet nectar produced by their beautiful bright red-orange flowers and tube-like flowers, the western trumpet honeysuckle is a beautiful flowering vine found throughout much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. These were found growing on a bright summer day overlooking the Puget Sound on Fidalgo Island in Washington State.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle
  • A close-up view of the interesting fused leaves that form a disk around the honeysuckles flowers (or buds in this case). This native vine is found all over much of the western United States, including British Columbia in several types of coastal to lower-elevation mountain habitats. This particular one was found growing in wild profusion in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern side of Washington State's Cascade Mountains.
    Western Trumpet Honeysuckle Buds
  • Primarily found in Central America and Mexico, the band-celled sister (also known as the Mexican sister) is a beautiful brushfoot butterfly related to admiral butterflies. It has a range that extends from the very southern tip of Texas to Columbia and Venezuela where it feeds on nectar from Cordia, Croton, and Baccharis flowers, and sometimes rotting fruit. This one was found flying around a hackberry tree in South Texas in the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge on a hot early spring day.
    Band-celled Sister (Adelpha fessonia)
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 2
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 4
  • The intensely and wildly vibrant blue cornflower is found throughout most of North America, but is actually native to Europe, and is only naturalized here. Oddly enough, it is becoming rare and has disappeared completely from many places where it once flourished in the Old World. This one was photographed next to the Columbia River on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge.
    Cornflower
  • Harvest brodiaea is a small Northwestern member of the lily family that ranges from Northern California to British Columbia and is found  in early summer in grasslands, coastal fields and meadows. These were found growing in profusion near Catherine Creek in the Columbia River Gorge in Southern Washington.
    Harvest Brodiaea
  • The elegant piperia is an uncommon terrestrial orchid found in scattered locations across the Pacific Northwest at lower elevations, but most often found on rocky outcrops or in open fields mixed with conifers in early to midsummer. This one was photographed high above the Columbia Gorge on the Washington side of the Columbia River.
    Elegant Piperia (Piperia elegans)
  • A California hairstreak feeds on a narrowleaf milkweed in the Columbia Gorge, just on the Washington side, north of the Columbia River. Although it is most common in the state of California, it can be found throughout most of the central western states from the Pacific Coast westward to the Rocky Mountains.
    California Hairstreak
  • The California ground squirrel is a very common western species that has recently expanded north into Washington, as this one was found in the  Washington side of the Columbia Gorge with the Columbia River and Oregon in the background. Highly intelligent, this common prey of rattlesnakes has been known to outsmart attacks using many ingenious methods and is even thought to be somewhat immune to rattlesnake venom.
    California Ground Squirrel
  • This first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest at the mouth of the Columbia River was recommended to be built in 1848, and be located at Cape Disappointment, Washington in what was then the Oregon Territory. It was finally constructed, then officially lit on October 15, 1856 where it served for over 150 years. In 2008, the automated red and white flashing light was finally deactivated. An observation deck has been built since then for the US Coast Guard to monitor traffic and bar conditions.
    Cape Disappointment Lighthouse
  • This first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest at the mouth of the Columbia River was recommended to be built in 1848, and be located at Cape Disappointment, Washington in what was then the Oregon Territory. It was finally constructed, then officially lit on October 15, 1856 where it served for over 150 years. In 2008, the automated red and white flashing light was finally deactivated. An observation deck has been built since then for the US Coast Guard to monitor traffic and bar conditions.
    Cape Disappointment Lighthouse
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." These were part of a large colony found and photographed in the Olympic National Forest next to Lake Cushman on a bright and sunny May spring morning, just west of Hoodsport, Washington.
    Chocolate Lilies
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." This one was one of about a dozen found and photographed on Fidalgo Island in Anacortes, Washington on a mid-April afternoon almost at the very edge of the high cliffs overlooking Rosario Strait.
    Chocolate Lily
  • Also known as the checker lily or mission bells, the chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata - fritillaria refers the mottled or checkered pattern on the petals) is a native, somewhat uncommon to rare member of the lily family found in cool mid-elevation mountains to coastal forests ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, and as far east as Idaho. One the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains it can be found growing in open prairies and grassy bluffs. The chocolate lily grows from tiny rice-like bulbs and once was used as a food source to the indigenous people who have lived here for millennia. The Haida, a tribe from British Columbia when first introduced to rice, referred to this new food as "fritillary-teeth." This one was one of about a dozen found and photographed on Fidalgo Island in Anacortes, Washington on a mid-April afternoon almost at the very edge of the high cliffs overlooking Rosario Strait.
    Chocolate Lily
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. This one was found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
  • Tough and beautiful! One of the toughest plants in all of North America, the bitterroot is also one of the prettiest. The bitterroot grows natively in all the western continental states (excluding Arizona), including Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, where it remains dormant for most of the year buried under snow, ice, and completely dried up in hot desert sand. In late spring to early summer, this ground-hugging perennial of the sagebrush deserts and plains puts out one of the most incredible white to bright pink flowers, that shows in very sharp contrast to the surrounding habitat. These were found growing at the top of some of the hills near Whiskey Dick Mountain near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.
    Bitterroot
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