Salmonberry

One of the beautiful wildflowers we saw on the hike was a Salmonberry (Rubus Spectabilis). An erect shrub up to10 feet tall with light brown exfoliating bark. Flowers are pink to red, over one inch in diameter. Leaves are alternate, compound with 3 sharp toothed leaflets. Fruit is yellow or orange mushy raspberry. Northwest coast peoples ate the sprouts and berries. Flowers April through mid-May.

The fruits have been an important, traditional food source for Native Americans, one which is still collected today. The fruits are readily eaten by a variety of birds and mammals. The early blooming flowers are an important food source for insects and hummingbirds. The twigs, stems, and leaves are all grazed by browsers such as deer. Salmonberry thickets provide important escape and nesting habitat for many birds. Salmonberry is also a useful shrub for landscape use in wetland areas.