We have found 4 more species of wildflowers growing on our 5 acres lots out at Paradise Vista in Grants Pass, OR. These Southern Oregon native wildflowers are beautiful- check them out!
Scarlet Fritillary
This wildflower is in the lily family. Other names are Red Bells and Missionbells. The Habitat for this flower is on open dry slopes in mixed woodlands and the Range is CA mountains and Northern CA Coast Ranges, up to 6500 ft. and Northern to Southern Oregon. This plant can get up to 3 ft tall, smooth mottled greenish-gray stem with whorls of linear to narrowly lace-like leaves, alternate leaves on upper stem showy scarlet bell-shaped flowers checked with orange-yellow, petal tips curved back toward flower base.
Fun fact: Native American tribes sometimes cooked and ate the bulbs. Also, Fritillaria is also used as a decongestant and to reduce swelling.
Pink Fawn Lily
Pink Fawn Lily photo taken by Paradise Vista resident- Pat Etchells
Perennial herb from a narrowly egg-shaped, 3- to 5-cm long bulb attached to a chain of rhizome segments; flowering stems 15-35 cm tall.
Flowering Time: April-May
Flowers: Inflorescence of 1, rarely 2 or 3, flowers atop a leafless, unbranched, smooth stem; flowers rose-pink with yellow bands at the base on the inner surface.
Ecological Setting: Found commonly on Southern Vancouver Island, and more locally south to coastal Washington and over to the west side of the Olympics and Oregon. It occurs in maritime to submaritime summer wet cool mesothermal climates. Occurrence decreases with increasing latitude and elevation.
Indian Paintbrush
Indian Paintbrush, Red Indian Paintbrush, Harsh Paintbrush, Cliff Paintbrush, Small-flowered Paintbrush
The size of the flower is 0.5-3 feet tall and the flower size is approximately 1 inch long. The flower itself has a clover like shape. The Northwest is a great place to catch several types of paintbrush. They are known for their bright color. This wildflower can vary from orange to scarlet to purple to even white or yellow. The bloom time is from April to September and they can be found by stream banks, in mountain meadows, open woods and roadsides.
Native American tidbit: The Paintbrush evoked the Native American legend of a young brave who tried to paint the sunset with his war-paints. Frustrated that he could not match the brilliance of nature, he ask for guidance from the Great Spirit. The Great Spirit gave him paintbrushes laden with the colors he so desired. With these, he painted his masterpiece and left the spent brushes in fields across the landscape. These brushes sprouted the flowers we now so wonderfully love!
Pussy Ears
This cute wildflower has an upright stem, branching. Leaf basal, about same length as stem, persisting through flowering; one smaller leaf on stem. Flowers on branching stems single to several, white or lavender, with deeper lavender staining near base, inside covered with hairs, including tips, with straight hairs on edges. Seedpods nodding. Grows from near sea level to mid elevations. This perennial has a flowering time of early Spring and the height is 4-12 inches. The environment for these wildflowers are meadows, West-side Forests & Coastal areas. They can be found in Siskiyous & Columbia Basin.
