Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) grows throughout the Gorge and western Washington and Oregon. It also grows east of the Cascades. This flower was photographed at Rowena Crest near Mosier, a small town located midway between The Dalles and Hood River.
The spectacular leaves of this maple can be almost a foot across. Before the trees leaf out in the spring, they are covered with clusters of hanging blossoms as shown here.
