Native Plants PNW

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Stink Currant, Ribes bracteosum

Stink Currant The Currant Family–Grossulariaceae

Ribes bracteosum Douglas ex Hook.

(rye-BEEZ brak-tee-OH-sum)

Names: Stink Currant is also sometimes called Blue Currant, Stinking Black Currant or Californian Black Currant. All parts of this plant are sprinkled with yellow glands that emit a sweet-skunky odor—giving it its common name. Bracteosum refers to the 1-3 tiny bracteoles (small bracts) immediately under the flower. Currants and gooseberries belong to the genus Ribes (from the Arabic or Persian word ribas meaning acid-tasting).

Relationships: Some taxonomists separate gooseberries into the genus or subgenus, grossularia. In general, gooseberry plants have prickles; currants do not. Ribes is the only genus in grossulariaceae; which is closely allied with escalloniaceae, and iteaceae; all formerly included in saxifragaceae. There are about 150 species of Ribes in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, northwest Africa, Central America and in the Andes of South America; with about 50 native to North America. 30 are listed in the Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. About 7-8 are native to the west side of the Cascades with about a dozen more found chiefly on the east side of the Cascades and ~17 limited to California or Oregon.

Distribution of Stink Currant from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: This species is native from southern Alaska to the northern California coast, mostly on the west side of the Cascades.

Growth: Stink Currants grow from 4-9 feet (1.5-3m) tall.

Habitat: They usually in moist to wet woods, along streambanks. Wetland designation: FAC, Facultative, it is equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

Diagnostic Characters: Leaves are large, like maple leaves, sparsely hairy to smooth, with 5 to 7 lobes, stinky when crushed. Flowers are numerous on mostly erect clusters; with white petals and brownish-purple to greenish-white calyces. Berries are blue-black with a whitish bloom.

In the Landscape: Stink Currant has not been used much in ornamental landscapes but its large maple-like leaves are attractive and its flowers are interesting. The leaves turn yellow in the fall, It could be just the right plant for a shady woodland garden next to a babbling brook.

Phenology: Bloom time: May-June. Fruit ripens: August-September.

Propagation: Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification at 35º F (2º C) Cuttings of semi-hardwood taken in July/August or of mature wood November-February are possible.

Use by People: Berries were eaten fresh, often with grease or oil, by several native tribes. The Quileute removed the pith from the stem and used them to inflate seal stomachs that were used to carry oil. The leaves were used to cover hemlock bark containers in which elderberries were stored. The berries have been variously described as unpleasant, disagreeable and not very palatable to bland, slightly bitter, not very juicy, mealy textured, to not unpleasant, having a mild black currant flavor, and delicious. The fruit can be used in pies, preserves, or jams.

Use by Wildlife: Currants and gooseberries are an important food for songbirds, chipmunks, and ground squirrels. Flowers are pollinated by insects and hummingbirds. The foliage is eaten by Butterflies.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Red Flowering Currant, Ribes sanguineum

Red Flowering Currant The Currant Family–Grossulariaceae

Ribes sanguineum Pursh

(rye-BEEZ sang-GWIN-ee-um)

Names: Other common names include Pink Winter Currant and Blood Currant. Sanguineum means “blood-red;” referring to the color of the flowers; although the flowers are usually a rosy or pale pink. You may find plants with flowers ranging from white to a deep red. There are several named cultivated varieties with red, pink, two-tone or white flowers. Var. glutinosum, found along the coast of California and Oregon, has less hairy leaves. Currants and gooseberries belong to the genus Ribes (from the Arabic or Persian word ribas meaning acid-tasting).

Relationships: There are about 150 species of Ribes in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, northwest Africa, Central America and in the Andes of South America; with about 50 native to North America. 30 are listed in the Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. About 7-8 are native to the west side of the Cascades with about a dozen more found chiefly on the east side of the Cascades and ~17 limited to California or Oregon. None of our westside currants are very tasty; Kruckeberg recommends the eastside natives Golden Currant, Ribes aureum or Wax (or the not so politically correct Squaw) Currant, R. cereum for edible natives. Some taxonomists separate gooseberries into the genus or subgenus, grossularia. In general, gooseberry plants have prickles; currants do not. Ribes is the only genus in grossulariaceae; which is closely allied with escalloniaceae, and iteaceae; all formerly included in saxifragaceae.

Distribution of Red Flowering Currant from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: Red Flowering Currant is found, mostly on the west side of the Cascades, from southern British Columbia to the coast ranges of central California; it can also be found in northern Idaho.

Growth: This species grows 3-9 feet (1-3m) tall.

Habitat: It is mostly found in dry, open woods.

Blue-black berries with a waxy bloom.

Diagnostic Characters: Leaves are 5-lobed similar to a maple leaf, crinkly, and finely hairy on the undersides. The foliage emits a pungent sage-like fragrance during hot summer days. 10-20 flowers are borne on drooping flower clusters. Flower color varies from white or pale pink to rose pink or deep red. Fruits are blue-black with glandular hairs and a waxy bloom. Stems are reddish-brown, erect and unarmed; the young growth finely hairy.

Flower color variations.

In the Landscape: Red Flowering Currant has been a favorite landscape plant since it was introduced to English horticulture by David Douglas. Many horticultural varieties were developed in England and subsequently reintroduced to their native land. Popular cultivars include: ‘King Edward VII’ and ‘Pulborough Scarlet’ with red flowers; and ‘White Icicle’, with white flowers. Cheery blossoms welcome spring and entice migrating hummingbirds into your garden. It is most spectacular in open areas, on slopes, or on the forest edge. It is drought tolerant and easily lives through dry summers with little irrigation.

Phenology: Bloom time: February-April. Fruit ripens: August-September.

Propagation: Stratify seeds at 35º F (2º C) for 120 days or sow them outside or in a cold frame in fall. Red Flowering Currant is also easily propagated with hardwood cuttings taken in fall or semi-hardwood, earlier in summer.

Immature berries

Use by People: The berries were eaten fresh by some natives but are not considered very tasty.

Use by Wildlife: Flowers are pollinated by insects and hummingbirds. The pink and red flowers are like beacons to migrating Rufous Hummingbirds. Make sure to put out your hummingbird feeders when you first begin to see Red Flowering Currant bloom in early spring! The foliage is eaten by Zephyr and other butterfly larvae. The berries are eaten by various songbirds and small mammals.

*Because currants and gooseberries are alternate hosts of White Pine Blister Rust, they are often controlled, or eradicated in White Pine timberlands.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Salmonberry, Rubus spectabilis

Salmonberry The Rose Family—Rosaceae

Rubus spectabilis Pursh.

(ROO-bus spek-tah-BIH-lus)

Rubus, derived from ruber, a latin word for red, is the genus of plants generally called brambles. The epithet spectabilis means spectacular due to Salmonberry’s showy flowers and fruits. The common name Salmonberry is thought to have come from the natives’ fondness for eating the berries with salmon roe, but it could also be due to the orangy-pink color of the berries.

Relationships: Rubus is a large genus with between 400 and 750 species. Rubus is considered taxonomically complex due to frequent hybridization and a high degree of polyploidy. It occurs primarily in northern temperate regions, but can be found on all continents, except Antarctica. Many are grown commercially and several cultivated varieties are prized for their large, juicy berries, including Boysenberries, Loganberries, and Marionberries. The berries are actually aggregates of drupelets. There are about 200 species native to North America. In the Pacific Northwest, the three most important native species are Blackcap Raspberry, Salmonberry, and Thimbleberry.

Distribution of Salmonberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: Salmonberry is found from southern Alaska to the northern California coast; mostly on the western slope of the Cascades-but it can be found in areas of eastern B.C. and northern Idaho.

Growth: This species grows to 12 feet (4m) from branching rhizomes, forming dense thickets.

Habitat: It grows in the dappled shade of moist woods and along streambanks. Wetland designation: FAC+, Facultative, it is equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

Diagnostic Characters: The arching stems of Salmonberry have golden-brown, shedding bark, similar to Pacific Ninebark. Salmonberry stems, although largely unarmed, can range from having scattered prickles to being very bristly. Smaller twigs zigzag slightly from node to node. Leaves have 3 sharply toothed leaflets, the lateral ones smaller and sometimes unequally lobed or divided. Five-petalled flowers are a striking pink to reddish-purple. The fruits are raspberry-like with a hollow core, ranging from yellow to orange-red.

In the landscape: Although it has attractive flowers and fruits, Salmonberry is best delegated to the wild garden due to its prickly, thicket-forming habit. It is a great choice for wetland restoration projects.

Phenology: Bloom time: April-May. Fruit ripens: May-July.

Propagation: Stratify seeds warm for 90 days then cold at 40º F (4º C) for 90 days. Scarification of the seed with sulfuric acid or sodium hyperchlorite prior to stratification may improve germination rates. Salmonberry is easily propagated by cuttings, layering or division. Remaining stumps or underground rhizomes quickly resprout new growth after a fire or other disturbance.

Use by People: Salmonberries, being one of the earliest berries to ripen, were one of the most important foods for natives. The berries are too watery to dry, so were usually eaten fresh in oolichan grease or with salmon or salmon eggs. Reports vary on the berries’ flavor from “insipid” or “inferior” to “juicy with a very good flavor” or “tasty.” It is likely that differences in taste are due to variations within the species or the relative ripeness of each berry. Today the berries are sometimes made into jams, jellies, candy, or wine. Young sprouts were also an important food for natives in early spring and summer; they were peeled, eaten raw or steamed. Preparations of the bark were used on wounds, especially burns.

Use by Wildlife: The pinkish-purple flowers of Salmonberry are attractive to Rufous Hummingbirds as they are migrating north. The brambles rank at the very top of summer foods for wildlife, especially birds: grouse, pigeons, quail, grosbeaks, jays, robins, thrushes, towhees, waxwings, sparrows, to name just a few. The berries are also popular with raccoons, opossums, skunks, foxes, squirrels, chipmunks and other rodents. The leaves and stems are eaten extensively by deer and rabbits. Bear, beaver and marmots eat fruit, bark and twigs. Flowers are usually pollinated by insects. These usually prickly plants make impenetrable thickets where small animals find secure cover.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus

Names: Thimbleberries have a hollow core, like raspberries, making the berries easy to fit on the tip of a finger like a thimble. Rubus is derived from ruber, a latin word for red. Although parviflorus means small-flowered, the flowers of this species are among the largest of any Rubus species; it may get its name from a comparison to white wild roses. This species may also be called Western Thimbleberry, Western Thimble Raspberry, or White-flowering Raspberry.

Relationships: Rubus is a large genus sometimes collectively known as brambles. It has between 400 and 750 species, including blackberries, raspberries, dewberries, and cloudberries. Rubus is considered taxonomically complex due to frequent hybridization and a high degree of polyploidy. It occurs primarily in northern temperate regions, but can be found on all continents, except Antarctica. Many are grown commercially and several cultivated varieties are prized for their large, juicy berries, including Boysenberries, Loganberries, and Marionberries. The berries are actually aggregates of drupelets. There are about 200 species native to North America. In the Pacific Northwest, the three most important native species are Blackcap Raspberry, Salmonberry, and Thimbleberry. Two of our worst nonnative invaders belong to this genus, Himalayan Blackberry, R. armeniacus (R. discolor), and Evergreen or Cutleaf Blackberry, R. laciniatus. Although they have delicious berries, and are excellent wildlife habitat, these species should be controlled as much as possible or they quickly take over disturbed habitats.

Distribution of Thimbleberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: Thimbleberry is native from southeast Alaska to northern Mexico; eastward throughout the Rocky Mountain states and provinces to New Mexico; through South Dakota to the Great Lakes region.

Growth: This species grows from 2-9 feet (0.5-3m) tall.

Habitat: It is found in moist to dry open woods, edges, open fields, and along shorelines. Wetland designation: FAC-, Facultative, it is equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

Diagnostic Characters: Thimbleberry stems have no prickles, and gray, shedding bark. Leaves are large, lobed, like maple leaves and fuzzy on both sides. Flowers are white and large (about 4 cm); borne 3-7 in a terminal cluster. The fruit is an aggregate of small, red, hairy drupelets in the shape of a domed cap.

In the landscape: Although some may regard it as a pest, Thimbleberry adapts better to an ornamental landscape than its prickly, more aggressive cousins. Its white flowers are bright and cheerful. Its large, maple-like leaves make a bold contrast to finer textured shrubs. In fall, leaves turn a bright, golden yellow. Thimbleberry is especially attractive on hillsides with dappled shade.

Phenology: Bloom time: May-June. Fruit ripens: July-September.

Propagation: Stratify seeds warm for 90 days then cold at 40º F (4º C) for 90 days; exposure to sulfuric acid or sodium hyperchlorite solutions prior to cold stratification may improve germination. Thimbleberry can be vegetatively propagated by cuttings, layering or division. It spreads through underground rhizomes and resprouts from root crowns after a disturbance.

Use by People: Natives ate the young shoots, raw in early spring. The berries were eaten fresh, mixed with other berries. Some tribes collected unripe berries and stored them in baskets or cedar-bark bags until ripe; others dried them like salal berries, although some considered them too soft for drying. The large leaves made handy containers for collecting berries and were also used for wrapping and storing elderberries. The boiled bark was used as soap. Today the berries, considered too seedy for jam, are sometimes made into jelly. Dried, powdered leaves were applied to wounds and burns to prevent scarring. A tea was made from the leaves for medicinal purposes. Hikers call it the soft fuzzy leaves “nature’s toilet paper.”

Use by wildlife: The brambles rank at the very top of summer foods for wildlife, especially birds: grouse, pigeons, quail, grosbeaks, jays, robins, thrushes, towhees, waxwings, sparrows, to name just a few. The berries are also popular with raccoons, opossums, skunks, foxes, squirrels, chipmunks and other rodents. The leaves and stems are eaten extensively by deer and rabbits. Bear, beaver and marmots eat fruit, bark and twigs. Flowers are usually pollinated by insects.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Blackcap Raspberry, Rubus leucodermis

Blackcap Raspberry The Rose Family—Rosaceae

Rubus leucodermis Douglas ex Torr. & A. Gray

(ROO-bus loy-ko-DERM-is)

Names: Blackcap Raspberry is also known as Whitebark Raspberry or simply Black Raspberry. Rubus, derived from ruber, a latin word for red, is the genus of plants generally called brambles. It includes blackberries, raspberries, dewberries, and cloudberries. Rasp- may have come from a 15^th century word, raspis, which means “a fruit from which a drink could be made.” “Leucodermis means white skin, or “whitebark”—referring to the very glaucous (whitish bloom) on its stems.

Two of our worst nonnative invaders belong to this genus, Himalayan Blackberry, R. armeniacus (R. discolor), and Evergreen or Cutleaf Blackberry, R. laciniatus. Although they have delicious berries, and are excellent wildlife habitat, these species should be controlled as much as possible or they quickly take over disturbed habitats.

Distribution of Blackcap Raspberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: This species is native from central British Columbia (possibly into Southeast Alaska) to southern California; to eastern Montana, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Growth: Black Raspberry canes arch up to 6 feet, (2m) tall.

Habitat: It grows mostly in disturbed sites, fields, and open forests.

Diagnostic Characters: Its stems are covered by a whitish or bluish, waxy bloom, and are armed with flattened, hooked prickles. Leaves usually have 3 sharp-toothed leaflets with white undersides. Flowers are borne in clusters of 2 to 7; petals are small, white to pink, shorter than the sepals. Fruits are the typical raspberry: a hollow globe-shaped “cap”; but ripe, seedy drupelets are dark purplish black.

Blackcap leaves

In the Landscape: This species is more often grown for its fruit than ornamentally. Its prickly, wild nature makes it best suited for a wild garden. Its bluish-whitish stems and arching habit are attractive, but its hooked prickles will grab or scratch anyone walking too close!

Phenology: Bloom time: May-June; Fruit ripens: Jul-Aug.

Propagation: Stratify seeds warm for 90 days then cold at 40º F (4º C) for 90 days. Blackcap Raspberry can be vegetatively propagated by cuttings, layering or division.

Use by People: The berries were eaten fresh or dried by natives. They were also used to make a purple dye. In fact, when grown commercially, the soft berries are more often used to make a dye, such as is used on meat packages, than for food. Many people, however, love the flavor and use them to make pies, jams, jellies, or syrups. Berry-pickers beware! — the berries will stain your hands and it is difficult to avoid being scratched by prickles! A tea, high in vitamin C can be made from the leaves. Young shoots can be peeled, eaten raw, or cooked like asparagus.

Blackcap Raspberry fruit2

Use by Wildlife: The brambles rank at the very top of summer foods for wildlife, especially birds: grouse, pigeons, quail, grosbeaks, jays, robins, thrushes, towhees, waxwings, sparrows, to name just a few. The berries are also popular with raccoons, opossums, skunks, foxes, squirrels, chipmunks and other rodents. The leaves and stems are eaten extensively by deer and rabbits. Bear, beaver and marmots eat fruit, bark and twigs. Flowers are usually pollinated by insects. These usually prickly plants make impenetrable thickets where small animals find secure cover.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

American Red Raspberry

Rubus idaeus L. ssp. strigosus (Michx.) Focke

The species type, Red Raspberry, R. idaeus, is native to Europe and northern Asia. Idaeus is derived from Mt. Ida in Crete where Jupiter was hidden as an infant. American Red Raspberry, or Grayleaf Red Raspberry, also known as Rubus strigosus (strigosus means bristled), can be found throughout much of North America, excluding the southwestern United States. In our region, it is found in some parts of the Cascades. Many cultivated varieties and hybrids are available for growing luscious berries; red, yellow, black, or purple!

Distribution of American Red Raspberry

Raspberry

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Clustered Wild Rose

Clustered Wild Rose The Rose Family—Rosaceae

Rosa pisocarpa A. Gray

(rose-uh pie-zoh-KAR-puh)

Names: Clustered Wild Rose is also known as Cluster Rose, Peafruit Rose or Swamp Rose. Pisocarpa means pea-like fruit.

Relationships: There are over 100 species of rose native to Eurasia, North America, and Northwest Africa. Long prized for their beauty and fragrance, more than 14,000 cultivated varieties of roses have been developed. There are about 22 species native to the United States. We have 3 common species on the west side of the Cascades in our region: Rosa gymnocarpa, R. nutkana, & R. pisocarpa. R. woodsii is common on the east side of the Cascades.

Distribution of Clustered Wild Rose from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: This species is native from southern British Columbia to northern California, mostly on the west side of the Cascades in B.C. and Washington; more widespread in Oregon. It has been found in one county in northern Idaho.

The prickles of Clustered Wild Rose are generally smaller and less robust than Nootka Rose’s

Growth: Clustered Wild Rose grows 3-6 feet (1-3m) tall.

Diagnostic Characters: It is difficult to distinguish from Nootka Rose, except that its pink flowers are smaller and usually in clusters of 2-10. The stems are variously prickly; it also has paired prickles that arise at the base of each leaf, but they are usually smaller (or missing) than Nootka Rose’s. Leaves have 5-9 finely toothed leaflets that are not glandular. The fruit are small, pea-sized, round to pear-shaped, purplish-red hips borne in clusters.

Habitat: Wetland designation: FAC, It is equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

In the landscape: Clustered Wild Rose can be used the same as Nootka Rose. It is great as a barrier plant, growing into an impenetrable thicket. Its fragrance fills the air in a seaside habitat. It is valuable for stabilizing banks, especially along streams.

“Pea-fruit Rose” The hips are often about the size and shape of peas.

Phenology: Bloom time: May-July; Fruit ripens: Early fall, persisting through winter.

Propagation: Sow in fall or stratify at 40º F (4º C) for 140 days. Seeds may take two years to germinate; scarification and/or a warm stratification prior to the cold stratification may hasten germination. Division of the root crown and rhizomes is an easy method to propagate fewer, larger plants. Cuttings of semi-hardwood or hardwood are possible.

Use by People: The fruit is much smaller than those of Nootka Rose and there is only a thin layer of flesh surrounding the hairy achenes that contain the seeds. Some natives ate the hips, raw or dried, or they boiled them to make a tea. A decoction of the roots was used to treat sore throats or as an eyewash. The bark was used to make a tea to ease labor pains. Rose hips are sometimes used to make jams or jellies; they are rich in vitamins, such as A, C, & E.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Nootka Rose, Rosa nutkana

Nootka Rose The Rose Family—Rosaceae

Rosa nutkana C. Presl

(Rose-uh noot-KAY-nuh)

Names: Nutkana is derived from Nootka; Nootka Sound is a waterway on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia that was named after the Nuu-Chah-Nulth tribe that live in the area. Nootka Rose is sometimes called Common, Wild, or Bristly Rose. There are four recognized varieties whose names suggest differences in bristling.

Relationships: There are over 100 species of rose world-wide and thousands of cultivated varieties. Most are native to Asia, but several are also found in Europe, North America and Northwest Africa. There are about 22 species native to the United States. We have 3 common species on the west side of the Cascades in our region: Rosa gymnocarpa, R. nutkana, & R. pisocarpa. R. woodsii is common on the east side of the Cascades.

Distribution of Nootka Rose from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: Nootka Rose is found from southern Alaska to the northern California coast; east to Montana in the north and northern New Mexico in the south.

Growth: This species grows 2-9 feet (.5-3m.)

Habitat: Nootka Rose is found in a variety of habitats: shorelines, floodplains, streambanks, meadows, open forests and forest edges. Wetland designation: FAC, It is equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

Rosa nutkana prickles are usually larger than Rosa pisocarpa prickles (which are usually more bristly).

Diagnostic characters: Nootka Rose is very difficult to distinguish from the Clustered Wild Rose, R. pisocarpa. Both have pink flowers. The major difference is that Nootka Rose has larger flowers that are usually borne singly (but sometimes in pairs or triplets) at the ends of branches. The stems of Nootka Rose are variously prickly; paired prickles arise at the base of each leaf. Leaves have 5-7 toothed leaflets, sometimes glandular, with more or less rounded tips. Fruits are relatively large (1-2cm), purplish-red hips.

In the landscape, Nootka Rose is beautiful but can be aggressive. It is great as a barrier plant, growing into an impenetrable thicket. Its fragrance fills the air in a seaside habitat. It is valuable for stabilizing banks, especially along streams.

Phenology: Bloom time: May-July; Fruit ripens: Early fall, persisting through winter.

Use by People: Some natives ate the hips, raw or dried, or they boiled them to make a tea. The fruit tastes better after a frost. Care should be taken, however, there is a layer of hairs around the seeds (actually achenes); these hairs can cause irritation to the mouth and digestive tract. A decoction of the roots was used to treat sore throats or as an eyewash. The bark was used to make a tea to ease labor pains. Rose hips are sometimes used to make jams or jellies; they are rich in vitamins, such as A, C, & E.

Use by Wildlife:

Nootka rose is important wildlife browse. (Roses are well known as “deer candy.”) Deer, elk, moose, caribou, bighorn sheep, bears, coyotes, and various rodents also eat the fruits. Squirrels, mice, beavers, and porcupines eat the twigs and leaves. Nootka rose thickets are used for nesting and escape cover by birds, including waterfowl, and, small mammals.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Baldhip Rose, Rosa gymnocarpa

Baldhip Rose The Rose Family—Rosaceae

Rosa gymnocarpa Nutt.

(Rose-uh jim-no-KAR-puh)

Names: Baldhip Rose is also sometimes called Wood Rose, Dwarf or Little Wild Rose. Baldhip and Gymnocarpa (meaning naked fruit), refer to the fact that the flower sepals do not remain attached to the fruit.

Distribution of Baldhip Rose from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: Baldhip Rose is found from southern British Columbia to the southern California coast in the west, to northern Idaho and western Montana in the east. It is also called Wood Rose because it is a woodland species.

Habitat: This species grows best in dry to moist open forests. Wetland designation: FACU, it usually occurs in non-wetlands but occasionally is found in wetlands.

Growth: It is the smallest of our roses, usually only growing to 2-5 feet (.5-1.5m).

Diagnostic characters: Bald-hip Rose is the easiest to distinguish from the other roses. Its stems have many soft, bristly, straight prickles. Leaves have 5-9 toothed leaflets. Flowers are small, pale pink to rose, fragrant, and are usually borne singly at the ends of branches. Fruits are small, red, pear-shaped, berry-like hips, with no sepals remaining attached.

In the Landscape: Although not as spectacular as is its cultivated cousins, Baldhip Rose can be charming in a woodland garden. It is one of very few roses that grow well in the shade.

Phenology: Bloom time: May-July; Fruit ripens: End of July, persisting through winter.

Propagation: Sowing seeds in autumn yields the best results; seeds may take two years to germinate; scarifying may speed the process. The root crown and rhizomes may be divided. Semi-hardwood cuttings are possible but may take a year to become viably established.

Use by People: This rose was not used as much as other roses by natives. A tea was made from the young leaves. The leaves and bark were toasted and smoked, often mixed with tobacco and other plants. A decoction of the bark was used as an eyewash. Chewed leaves were applied to beestings. The fruits of this species, being very small, were not often eaten. Hips were used as beads by children.

Use by Wildlife: Baldhip rose is an important year-round food source for mammals,
birds, and insects. In the Pacific Northwest, white-tailed deer and mule deer browse baldhip rose especially in burned areas The fruits (hips) persist throughout the winter, and are eaten by small mammals, birds, and insects.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Sitka Mountain Ash

Sitka Mountain Ash The Rose Family—Rosaceae

Sorbus sitchensis M. Roem.

(SOR-bus sit-CHEN-sis)

Names: Sitka Mountain Ash is sometimes called Pacific or Western Mountain Ash. Sitka is the name of a Tlingit tribe, and is also the name of a city in southeastern Alaska. The species name sitchensis is derived from Sitka.

Relationships: There are about 100-200 species of Sorbus in the Northern Hemisphere. The genus Sorbus includes, Mountain Ashes (also known as Rowans), Whitebeams, and Service Trees. True Ashes belong to the unrelated genus, Fraxinus. The word Rowan is thought to be from a Norse word for tree, or a Germanic word meaning “getting red,” referring to its fall foliage color and berries. Rowans were important trees in celtic mythology; the wood was used for Druid’s staffs, magic wands and dowsing rods. Variety grayi differs from the species by having fewer serrations on the leaflets; it is toothed only above midlength, sometimes nearly entire. It is found only in the Pacific states from southern British Columbia to the Siskiyous in Northern California.

Distribution of Sitka Mountain Ash from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: The species range extends further north and east from southeast Alaska to the Yukon Territory, Alberta, northern Idaho and Montana. There are intermediate forms where ranges overlap.

Growth: Sitka Mountain Ash grows 3-12 feet (1-4m) in open forests, clearings, streambanks, and avalanche slopes; often on drier, nitrogen-poor soils. In B.C., it is found from the sea coast to subalpine parklands; its occurrence increasing with increasing precipitation and elevation.

Diagnostic Characters: Winter buds and young growth are covered with rusty-red hairs and are not sticky. Pinnately compound leaves have 7-11 bluish-green leaflets. Leaflets are rounded at the tip and coarsely toothed from ¾ of the margin to the tip – to nearly entire. White flowers are borne in round-topped clusters. Fruit are berry-like pomes, pinkish to orange-red, with a bluish or whitish bloom.

In the landscape: It is best used on hillsides; fall is its best season with its yellow, orange or red foliage and showy fruit. It is useful for streambank revegetation projects.

Sitka Mountain Ash at Mount Rainier

Phenology: Bloom time: June-July. Fruit ripens: September-October.

Propagation: Seeds should be sown in fall or stratified at 32-40º F (4º C) for 90-120 days. Some recommend a warm stratification period for two weeks prior to the cold stratification period. Propagation from cuttings is difficult; layering or division may have better success.

Use by people: The fruit is considered of poor quality for human consumption. It turns sweeter after a frost and has been used raw, in preserves or cooked in pies.

Use by Wildlife: Sitka Mountain Ash fruit remains on the plant until late winter, making it valuable as winter forage. It is important in the diet of many upland gamebirds, songbirds, and small mammals. The foliage and twigs are browsed by deer, elk, and moose. Black bear and grizzly bear also eat the berries, leaves, and stems. Flowers are pollinated by insects.

Links:

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System