Spring Colors Emerge from Native Flora
In the woods and at home
Trillium (Trillium ovatum), is my favorite woodlands flower. It is also known as Western white trillium or pacific wood lily as it is a member of the Lilly family. To me, it is the first and favorite sign of Spring, Feb. through April.
I love the native flora this time of year as they emerge from our long dark winter. Since we can’t get out there everyday, we have brought the woodlands colors home forming our mostly PNW native plant garden some of which is shone at the bottom.
Native Berries of the PNW
Our marine climate and rich soil provide ideal growing conditons for many kinds of berries and not just those native to the area. Early farmers did not have to experiment to see if various berries would grow here as the woods hosted numerous species of wild berries for eons. Our county (Whatcom), is the epicenter of red raspberry production yielding nearly 85% of the nation's crop, totaling roughly 50-60 million pounds annually. Blue berries too are prolific here. We are the top producer of blue berries in the country accounting for 65% of the nation’s output.
The native berries have been favorites of our indigineous populations, including the forest crittters and they still are. Several native species are shown below.
Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) plants have long leggy branches with attractive blossoms that morph into edible berries. The berries ripen from early May to late July in most of the Pacific Northwest (later at higher elevations), and resembles a large, shiny yellow to orange-red blackberry. These and other native berries have been a staple of Northwest Indians and as the name implies, they are eaten with salmon.
Salmon berry bushes on the left and a close up of a blossom on the right. Note the bumble bee hovering in a holding pattern waiting to dive into the blossom.
Ososberry (Oemleria cerasiformis) fruits are favorites of birds and bears of the PNW. AKA Indian Plum as it was/is used by the local Native Americas. Early Spanish explorers named it Osoberry when they first saw bears eating them. The fruits are small plum-like and not sweet although edible in a pinch. Osoberry is one of the first to flower, often in February and provides a nectar source for hummingbirds and pollenating insects.
An Osoberry bush, its blossoms, and a couple of green berries that just popped yesterday.
Snow Berry, (Oemleria cerasiformis) is another native shrub that produces edible berries for animals (birds) but are toxic to humans. Snow berry is a prolific widespread understory shrub in our vast conifer forests. Currently it is not in bloom and its berries must wait until late fall or winter, after which they linger on the plant into spring and summer.
The berries shown here were used for a small arrangement made of winter flora from the local woods.
Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) is a large shrub that can grow to tree size of 24 feet. They produce a small red berry that can be edible if the seeds are removed as they are toxic. Historically and currently they are used as medicinals for stomach pains and skin rashes.
The eldernerry leaves and especially the blossoms are very attractive
Mahonia, or as it is known around here: Oregon Grape. There are several species here: one called Tall Mahonia (M. Aquiliform) and a shorter one, M. nervosa. Late in the summer it produces purple, grape-like fruits that are quite edible. They were very popular with the locals Indians and I had a colleague who made wine from them. In its flowering phase, humming birds and various pollinators love it too.
Note that Mahonia’s leaves are sharply pointed around the edges, very much like English Holly. Its full headed blossoms are gorgeously yellow.
Red flowering current (Rubis sanguinus) is native to the woods of Western North America. Its berries are edible although tart. The berries are often used in jellies while the blossoms are used in drinks and in salads for color.
Salal, (Gaultheria shallon), is also native to the PNW woodlands and virtually covers the ground nearly everywhere around here. It grows 1 to 5 feet typically and its lovely blossoms shown below produce dark blue berries that are loved by most forest animals, particularly the local deer that forage through our yard.
Salal shrub in our garden and a blosson about to open up for is whie blossoms.
Assorted other colorful Harbingers of spring:
Western Skunk Cabbage, (Lysichiton americanus), also called Swamp Lantern, grows in wetlands and swamps with water present. Its name derives the unpleasant but distinctive odor it emits when it blooms in the spring.
Above is a spray of skunks in a wet land and a single specimen up close.
Wild Bleeding Heart (Dicentra eximia) is a long-blooming perennial found throughout our woodlands, blooming in the spring and continuing well in to the summer. It is alovely ground cover in the woods.
This spray is from a large patch in Arroyo Canyon Park and a close up of its pretty heart shaped blossoms.
Ferns next generation
Up and down the west coast of North America, if there is an understory in our coniferous forests, its fern. There are about 40 species of ferns in the PNW. They are everywhere, often up to your chest and sprawling. I just counted 21 sword ferns in our yard, and that is not counting the many other species.
Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) is is thick in the woods here. In the spring it pops up new growth called fiddle heads on their way to becoming full fledged ferns.
A native forest Garden.
Below is an arrray of several of the plants shown above, intermingled as they appear naturally in the woods, just outside of town. Here, they are set amidst moss-covered trees in the background. And yes, there are ferns here as well, just off to the side, out of the photo.
What one sees on a spring walk in the PNW woods.
A view of our front yard with four native Northwest plants against the house.
Osoberry at the right, Mahonia nervosa at bottom center and up to the second story rises M. aquiliform. Sword fern sticking out at the bottom and Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) on the left.
Very cool - I’ve never tasted salmon berries, but I’ve always wanted to…🙂