Columbines School
Plant Lists from the Pacific Northwest
These lists, surveys, and class notes were generated by the Columbines School of Botanical Studies Apprenticeship Program. Herbalists, botanists, and wildcrafters alike may find these lists to be useful reference material.
First Year Field Trips
Spring Term: Plant Lists
- Trip #1: Introduction to Low Elevation Forests, April 12, 13, 16, 2019
- Trip #2: The Lily Family, Liliaceae, April 19, 20, 22, 2019
- Trip #3: The Orchid Family, Orchidaceae, April 26, 27, 29, 2019
- Trip #4: Oregon Grape Root, Berberis nervosa, May 3, 4, 7, 2019
- Trip #5: Low Elevation Seepy Cliffs, May 10, 11, 14, 2019
- Trip #6: The Heath Family, Ericaceae, and Ceanothus, May 17, 18, 21, 2019
- Trip #7: Meadow Locating Techniques, May 31, June 1, 4, 2019
- Trip #8: Advanced Meadow Locating Techniques, June 7, 8, 11 2019
- Trip #9: Astringents, June 13, 14, 18, 2019
- Trip #10: Pedicularis, June 21, 22, 25, 2019
- Trip #11-12: Spring Overnight, The most complete plant list of the year. June 27-28, June 29- 30, July 2-3, 2019
Summer Term: Economic Botanical Surveys
- Trip #13-14: Middle Elevation Coniferous Woods and Riparian Zone (East & West Sides of the Cascade Mountains), This contains two Economic Botanical Surveys. July 25-26, 27-28, 2019
- Trip #15-16: Middle Elevation Coniferous Woods, Meadows, Clearcuts, Riparian Zones, August 8-9, 10-11, 2019
- Trip #17-18: Middle Elevation Coniferous Woods, Meadows, Clearcuts, Riparian Zones, August 22-23, 24-25, 2019.
- Trip #19-20: The Carrot Family, Apiaceae, August 29-30, 31-September 1, 2019. Highlights only.
Second Year Field Trips
- Trips #1-2: Willamette Valley Floor and Oregon Coast Range April 6,7 2019
- Trip #3: Low Elevation Coniferous Woods, April 21, 2019
- Trip #4: Middle Elevation Hudsonian Zone, April 28, 2019
- Trip #5: Ponderosa Pine Zone, May 5, 2019
- Trip #6: Juniper Sagebrush Steppes, May 19, 2019
- Trip #7: Peony, Paeonia brownii, June 2, 2019. Highlights only.
- Trip #8: Devil’s Club, Oplopanax horridus, June 23, 2019. Highlights only.
- Trip #9-10: Arctic Alpine Zone, August 3-4, 2019
Key for the Alpine Trip Plant List:
- A: Arctic Alpine Zone, High Elevation
- H: Hudsonian Zone, Middle Elevation
- C: Canadian Zone, Middle Elevation
- AT: Arid Transition Zone, Ponderosa Pine Zone East Side of Cascades
- HT: Humid Transition Zone, Low Elevation West Side of Cascades
- T: Transition Zones, Low Elevation and Ponderosa Pine Zones, Both Sides of the Cascades
- Trip #11-13: Three Day Overnight, August 16-18, 2019. Highlights only.
Wild Food Tending Field Trips with Heron Brae
Economic Botanical Surveys with Abundance and Phenology
- Trip #1: Willamette Valley Oak Savannah and Riparian, April 14, 2019
- Trip #2: Willamette Valley and Low Elevation Coniferous Woods, April 28, 2019
- Trip #3-6: Ochoco Mountain, Ponderosa Pine Forest, and Scabland, May 20-23, 2019
- Trip #7-8: Columbia Plateau Ponderosa Pine Forest, June 15-16, 2019.
- Trip #9-12: North Umpqua Watershed Low Elevation Wet Meadow, Middle Elevation Old Growth Woods and Meadow, August 8-11, 2019.
- Trip #13-15: Middle Elevation Old Growth Woods and Meadow, Southwestern Oregon Oak Woodland, Meadow, and Mixed Conifer Forest, September 27-29, 2019.

About Plant Lists and Botanical Surveys
Most of this data was gathered between the months of April through September in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and the surrounding areas. These lists generally include only plants that were flowering at the time of the class. We have intentionally removed site specific locations, but have included the general ecosystem and elevations. You may be able to apply this information to similar ecosystems in your area.
Each list may include the following:
Topics Covered: This is a general list of key concepts and principles addressed during the field trip. On occasion, our topics may fall into one of the following specific categories: Herbalism Principles, Wildcrafting Principles, Botanical Principles, and Ecosystems/Habitats.
Notes: The plant lists may include highlights and additional details from each class field trip. They generally are only one line reminders for those in the apprenticeship, but they may be of value to some.
Family: These lists are arranged by plant family. We use the family names found in the most current taxonomic key for the area, which is usually The Flora of the Pacific Northwest by Hitchcock and Cronquist. The most recent Volume 2 of the new Flora of Oregon was published in the fall of 2018. These updated name changes are reflected in the plant list.
Latin Names: The latin name is the best way to identify a plant. We use the Latin names found in the most current taxonomic key for the area, which is usually The Flora of the Pacific Northwest by Hitchcock and Cronquist. The most recent Volume 2 of the new Flora of Oregon was published in the fall of 2018. These updated name changes are reflected in the plant list.
Common Names: Common names are a poor way to identify a plant, as there are three “Spring Beauties” in my area, all unrelated except that they bloom in the early spring. I have a tendency to make these names up, but in these lists I use the most “common” common name for my area, or at least my favorite one.
Uses: These are hard to sum up in one or two words. Edible is difficult to define. If it tastes bad no matter how you cook it, is it edible? If it’s poison raw, but edible cooked? What if it’s poison unless soaked in lye and then boiled to remove the lye (olives)? What if it tasted bad, gives you the runs and makes you throw up, but will not kill you? Poison is also hard to define. If you eat a plant in a salad or prepared food and it requires seeking medical attention afterwards, we will define the plant as poisonous. Remember, the difference between poison and medicine is dosage. Some of the plants listed as poison may be used by clinical herbalists as medicine. Some foods are poisonous if ingested in large quantities.These one or two word descriptions are only a reference, please check further resources for more complete information.
Animal Interactions: “I’m a botanist, Jim, not a zoologist.”
