Author Archives: habitatdana

Western Mountain Ash, Sorbus scopulina

Western Mountain Ash                                                       The Rose Family—Rosaceae

Sorbus scopulina Greene

(SOR-bus  scawp-yu-LEE-nuh)

Sorbus scolpulina naturalNames: 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.  Scopulina means “of rocky places.”  This species is also known as Rocky Mountain,  Cascade, or Greene’s Mountain Ash, named after botanist, Edward Lee Greene.

Sorbus scopulina flowerRelationships: There are about 100-200 species of Sorbus in the Northern Hemisphere and about half a dozen Sorbus species native to North America.  Eurasian species have been introduced, become naturalized and interbred with native species; most notably, the European Mountain Ash, Sorbus aucuparia. Variety cascadensis, Cascade Mountain Ash, differs from the species by usually having 11 leaflets or fewer, and persistent stipules, whereas var. scopulina usually has some leaves with 13 leaflets.  Var. cascadensis occurs mostly on the west slope of the Cascades, the Olympic Mountains, and the Sierras.  There are intermediate forms on the east side of the Cascades and in the Wallowa Mountains.  Amelasorbus jackii, a cross between Amelanchier alnifolia and S. scopulina has been observed in Oregon and Idaho.

Distribution ofWestern Mountain Ash from USDA Plants Database

Distribution ofWestern Mountain Ash from USDA Plants Database

The species occurs from Alaska to the Northwest Territories; to Arizona and New Mexico; and the Pacific states to the Dakotas.

 

 

Growth: Western Mountain Ash grows 3-15 feet (1-5m)

Habitat: It grows on rocky hillsides, open woods, and along streams; usually in small clumps. Wetland designation: FACU; it usually occurs in non-wetlands but occasionally is found in wetlands.

Diagnostic Characters: Pinnately compound leaves have 9 to 13 leaflets and are yellowish-green, sharp-pointed, and finely toothed along most of the margin.  Winter buds are white and sticky.  Flowers are small and white in round to flat-topped clusters.  Fruit are small, glossy, orange to scarlet, berry-like pomes borne in showy clusters.

Sorbus scopulina leaves

 

 

Sorbus scopulina shrubIn the landscape: Our shrubby Mountain Ashes are most spectacular growing in clumps on hillsides.  It is attractive when in bloom, but fall is its best season, with its yellow to peachy fall foliage and scarlet berries.

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

Propagation:  Seeds should be stratified at 40º F (4º C) for 90-120 days.  Some recommend presoaking the seeds for 24 hours.  Semi-hardwood cuttings are best taken in late summer.

 

Use by Natives: Natives rarely ate these berries; but today they are sometimes used in pies, preserves, or wine-making.  The fruit is sweeter after a frost.  If eaten raw, they should be bletted, a process where they are kept in a cool, dry place and allowed to begin decaying or fermenting, similar to pears.

Sorbus scopulina fruit

Use by Wildlife: The fruits, eaten by grouse, grosbeaks, Cedar Waxwings and Douglas Squirrels, are valuable to wildlife due to the fact that the fruit persists on the plant through the winter.  Moose, deer and elk browse the twigs and foliage.  Flowers are pollinated by insects.

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Subalpine Spiraea, Spiraea splendens

Subalpine Spiraea

Spiraea splendens Baumann ex K. Koch                                       The Rose Family–Rosaceae

(spy-REE-uh  SPLEN-dens)

Spiraea splendens flowerNames:   The word Spiraea comes from a Greek plant that was commonly used for garlands.  This species is also known as Spiraea densiflora.  Splendens means shiny, densiflora means dense flowers.  Subalpine Spiraea is also known as Rosy Spirea, or Rose or Mountain Meadowsweet.

Relationships: There are about 80-100 species of spiraea in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere-the majority in eastern Asia. Many are grown for ornamental landscaping and there are several cultivated varieties, mostly of the Japanese species.

 

 

Distribution of Subalpine Spiraea from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Subalpine Spiraea from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: It is found from southern British Columbia in the Olympic and Cascade Mountain Ranges to the Sierras in California and Nevada; eastward to the Rocky Mountains, Alberta, Idaho & Montana & Wyoming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growth: Subalpine Spiraea grows 2-3 feet (60-90cm)

Habitat:  It is found in moist meadows, on streambanks, and open, rocky slopes.

Diagnostic Characters:  This species has round to oval (toothed near the end), shiny, bright-green leaves; reddish-purple bark; and flat-topped clusters of pink to purplish flowers.

In the Landscape:  Subalpine Spirea, with its bright pink flowers, is an attractive addition to the landscape.  Flowers are sweetly scented, reminiscent of cloves.  It is especially useful when a smaller shrub is desired.  It has great potential for mixing with Shinyleaf Spiraea in borders or foundation plantings.

 Phenology: Bloom time:  June-August.

Subalpine Spiraea

 Propagation: A 60-75 day cold, moist  stratification. of seeds is recommended. Cuttings also are also possible.

Use by People: Flowering stems were used as paint brushes, especially on the large spaces of teepees by the Blackfoot.

Use by Wildlife: Subalpine spiraea is considered a poor forage species and also does not provide good cover. But is possibly a good species for pollinators such as butterflies.

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

 

Shinyleaf Spiraea, Spiraea lucida

Shinyleaf Spiraea                                                                                The Rose Family–Rosaceae

Spiraea lucida flowersSpiraea lucida Douglas ex Greene

(spy-REE-uh  LOO-sih-duh)

Names:  The word Spiraea comes from a Greek plant that was commonly used for garlands. Spiraeas are collectively known as Meadowsweets.  Shinyleaf Spiraea was formerly considered a variety of Birchleaf Spiraea, Spiraea betulifolia,  It is sometimes called White Spiraea or White Meadowsweet. Lucida means shining.

Relationships: There are about 80-100 species of spiraea in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere-the majority in eastern Asia. Many are grown for ornamental landscaping and there are several cultivated varieties, mostly of the Japanese species.

 

Distribution of Shinyleaf Spiraea from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Shinyleaf Spiraea from USDA Plants Database

Distribution:  It is found from British Columbia to Oregon from the foothills of the Cascades, through the Rocky Mountains, eastward to Saskatchewan and Minnesota.

 

 

 

 

Spiraea lucida plantGrowth: Shinyleaf Spiraea grows only to about 1-3 ft. (30-90 cm).  It spreads by rhizomes and often grows in large colonies.

 

 

 

 

 

Habitat: It grows in open forests and on dry, rocky slopes; from foothills to wetter forests at higher mountain elevations.  Wetland designation: Tentative FAC*, It is equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

Diagnostic Characters: Its leaves are egg-shaped, doubly-toothed past the middle; bright green above, paler below.  White flowers are borne in flat-topped clusters.   

Spiraea lucida leaves

 

In the Landscape:  Like many spiraeas, this shrub is charming in a landscape and is especially useful when a smaller shrub is desired.  It has great potential for mixing with Subalpine Spiraea in borders or foundation plantings.

Spiraea lucida flowers2

Phenology: Flowers:: May- July. Seasonal development of Shiny Spirea varies due to
temperature differences between elevational sites.

 

 

 

 

 

Propagation:  A 60 day cold, moist  stratification. of seeds is recommended but germination may occur without a stratification treatment. Cuttings also may be taken in early to mid June.

Use by People: A tea, made from branches, leaves or roots, was mostly used to treat abdominal and menstrual pains by natives.

Insects on Shiny Spiraea inflorescence

Insects on Shiny Spiraea inflorescence

Use by Wildlife: Shiny spiraea is considered a poor forage species and also does not provide good cover. But is possibly a good species for pollinators such as butterflies.

 

 

 

 

 

Spiraea x pyramidalisPyramidal Spiraea, Spiraea x pyramidata, is a naturally occurring hybrid of S. betulifolia (lucida) and S. douglasii.  It is intermediate to both of its parents, growing 4-5 feet (130-160cm) with flowers in pyramidal clusters, white to pale pink.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

 

 

Douglas Spiraea, Spiraea douglasii

Douglas Spiraea                                                                     The Rose Family–Rosaceae

Spiraea douglasii Hook.

(spy-REE-uh  duh-GLASS-ee-i)

Spiraea douglasii flower clusterNames: The word Spiraea comes from a Greek plant that was commonly used for garlands.  Douglas Spiraea is named after David Douglas.  It is also commonly known as Hardhack, Steeplebush, or as Western, Pink or Rose Spiraea.  There are two recognized varieties, var. douglasii, which has grayish wooly hairs on the undersides of its leaves; and var. menziesii, (sometimes known as S. menziesii) which has smooth or only slightly hairy leaves.

Relationships:  Spiraeas are collectively known as Meadowsweets.  There are about 80-100 species of spiraea in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere-the majority in eastern Asia. Many are grown for ornamental landscaping and there are several cultivated varieties, mostly of the Japanese species.

Distribution of Douglas Spiraea from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Douglas Spiraea from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: Douglas Spiraea is native from southeast Alaska to northern California.  Although it mostly occurs west of the Cascade Mountains, it is also found in eastern Washington, Idaho and western Montana.  Douglas Spiraea has also been found growing in isolated counties of Colorado, Missouri, and Tennessee.

Growth: Spiraea douglasii grows 3-6 ft (1-2 m). It spreads by rhizomes, and is very aggressive, It often forms dense colonies and can quickly become the dominant species in a wetland habitat.

Spiraea douglasii

 

Spiraea douglasii2Habitat: Douglas Spiraea grows in open areas of wet meadows, bogs, streambanks, and lake margins. Labrador Tea, Ledum groenlandicum, is often a companion of Douglas Spiraea in bogs.  It can withstand drier periods in areas that are only seasonally wet.  Wetland designation: FACW, It usually occurs in wetlands, but is occasionally found in non-wetlands.

Diagnostic Characters:  This species has oblong to oval leaves that are toothed above the middle.  The undersides of the leaves are paler than the upper sides and are often covered with wooly, gray hairs.  The flowers are purplish-pink clustered in an upright plume or “steeple.”  The fruits are pod-like follicles (dry one-celled seed capsules, which split open one side).

Spiraea douglasii bushIn landscapes: Douglas Spiraea is especially useful in Rain Gardens, but care should be taken not to introduce it to an area where it is likely to overtake other desirable plants.  It is a good choice for revegetation projects along streamsides.  Its attractive purplish-pink flower plumes create a “sea of pink” in “Hardhack bogs” when in bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phenology:  Bloom time:  July-August; Fruit ripens: September-October.

Propagation:  Douglas Spiraea is easy to start from seed.  Fresh seed does not require stratification; dry seed may require 1-2 months cold stratification.  Douglas Spiraea may also be propagated from stem or root cuttings, or division.  After a fire or burial, it readily sprouts from the stem base and rhizomes. Douglas’ spirea showed extensive rhizome and adventitious root development in tephra after the 1980 Mt. St. Helen’s volcanic eruption.

Use by people: Some natives used Douglas Spiraea for spreading and cooking salmon and for making tools to collect dentalia shells for trade and decoration.  The flowers are can be dried and used in floral arrangements.

Use by Wildlife: Douglas Spiraea is sometimes browsed by Black-tailed Deer.  Flowers are pollinated by insects.  In bogs, it provides cover for many water birds, such as Marsh Wrens, but alternatively may provide good hunting habitat for raptors.

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Pacific Ninebark. Physocarpus capitatus

Pacific Ninebark                                             The Rose Family–Rosaceae

(Pursh) Kuntze

(Fy-zoe-KAR-pus  kap-ih-TAY-tuss)

Ninebark flowersNames: Physo means bladder, carpus means fruit, referring to the inflated fruits.  Capitatus means having a head, referring to its dense flower or fruit cluster.  Ninebarks are so called because it was believed there are nine layers (or nine strips) of peeling bark on the stems.  In the past it has been lumped in with P. opulifolia, Common Ninebark (an eastern species); along with this species, it was also known as Opulaster capitatus and Neillia opulifolia, Opulaster and opulifolia mean rich in flowers (asters) or in leaves (folia)–they may also refer to its similarity to Viburnum opulus.  Because of its close association to spiraeas, it has also been known as Spiraea capitata.  Western Ninebark is another common name.

Relationships: There are about 8-10 species of Physocarpus, with all but one (which is native to northeastern Asia), are native to North America.

Distribution of Pacific Ninebark from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Pacific Ninebark from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: Pacific Ninebark is native from Southeast Alaska to the coast ranges of Santa Barbara County in California, mostly in the coastal states and British Columbia.  Its frequency decreases with increasing elevation and eastward progression, with a few found in Alberta and Idaho.

Ninebark

 

 

 

 

 

 

Growth: Pacific Ninebark grows to about 12 feet (4m), sometimes reaching 18 feet (6m) in the wild.  It is moderately short-lived.

Habitat: it is found along streams, in wet meadows, coastal marshes and at the edges of moist woods. Wetland designation: FACW-, It usually occurs in wetlands, but is occasionally found in non-wetlands.

The peeling brown bark on its stems.

The peeling brown bark on its stems.

Diagnostic Characters: Pacific Ninebark is most easily recognized by the brown shredding bark on its branches.  Its toothed leaves are 3-5 lobed, similar to a maple leaf.  At a glance it can easily be confused with salmonberry which has toothed leaves with 3 leaflets.  Its flowers are small and white with yellow centers and pink stamens, tightly packed in a hemispherical cluster.  Its fruits are small, reddish, inflated follicles (dry one-celled seed capsules or pods, which split open one side).

 

 

Pacific Ninebark

 

In the Landscape: Pacific Ninebark is a valuable shrub in a wild garden but could also be used at the back of a shrub bed in a more traditional landscape.  Its attractive buds, white flower clusters and reddish fruit extend its beauty through much of the summer and into fall.  Its eastern cousin, P. opulifolia, has several cultivated varieties with purple or yellowish leaves.

Cluster of red seed capsules.

Cluster of red seed capsules.

 

 

 

 

 

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

Physocarpus capitatus dried seed headsPropagation:  Pacific Ninebark is easy to start from cuttings, or live stakes (direct planting of a cutting into its desired location).  Seed propagation is possible, but much slower.  Fall is the best time to sow the seeds, although many sources state that it does not require a stratification period.

Use by people: The wood of Pacific Ninebark has been used to make small items such as children’s bows and knitting needles.  A tea made from the bark was used as a laxative or to induce vomiting.  Due to toxicity concerns, caution is advised for any internal use.

 

Ninebark flower cluster

Use by wildlife: Mountain Goats have been observed eating Pacific Ninebark.  Its flowers are mostly pollinated by native bees but may also be visited by butterflies.  Tall arching branches and foliage provides cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Indian Plum, Oemleria cerasiformis

Indian Plum                                                          The Rose Family–Rosaceae

Oemleria cerasiformis (Torr. & A. Gray ex Hook & Arn.) Landon

(ohm-LAIR-ee-uh  sir-ASS-ih-form-iss)

Names: The genus is named after Augustus Gottlieb Oemler (1773-1852), a German naturalist from Savannah, Georgia, who was the first to collect the species.  Cerasiformis means cherry-shaped.  The species is also known as Osmaronia cerasiformis or Nuttallia cerasiformis. Osm- is a Greek root meaning “smelly;” aronia is the genus of chokeberries.   Other common names include Osoberry, Oregon Plum, Squaw Plum, Indian Peach, Bird Cherry, and Skunkbush.

Indian Plum leafs out early in Sprin

Indian Plum leafs out early in Sprin

Relationships:  Indian Plum is the only species in the genus Oemleria.  It bears a stone fruit or drupe similar to fruits in the related genus, Prunus which includes plums, cherries, apricots, peaches, and almonds.

Distribution of Indian Plum from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Indian Plum from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: It is native from the area around Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia to Santa Barbara County in California on the west slope of the Cascades and Sierra Nevadas.

Growth:  Indian Plum grows 4.5-20 feet (1.5-7m)

Habitat: It grows in dry to moist open woods and streambanks.  Wetland designation: FACU, It usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally is found on wetlands.

 

 

 

 

Indian Plum leavesDiagnostic Characters: Its leaves are bright green in spring, lance-shaped, and entire (not toothed); and smell like cucumber when crushed.  Small, five-lobed flowers are born in drooping clusters, usually appearing before the leaves.  Each flower is white with a green calyx. They are said to have an unusual fragrance Indian Plum flowers“something between watermelon rind and cat urine.”  Others compare it to almonds.  Some sources report that the female flowers have a pleasant fragrance, but the male flowers are unpleasant.  The fruit are like small plums.  Immature fruit is peach-colored, mature fruit is purple or bluish-black.  Since Indian Plum is dioecious, you need to a have a female plant with nearby males for it to bear fruit.  In natural populations, there are usually more males than females, due to a higher mortality of females.  Males often flower at an earlier age than females; females have a slower growth rate.

 

Love the spring green color!

Love the spring green color!

 

 

In the Landscape: No other native shrub ushers in spring as splendidly as Indian Plum with its cheerful greenish-white flower clusters and spring green foliage.  Best in an open woodland garden, its flowers and new foliage brighten up an otherwise dreary late winter day.  Its graceful, arching branches are prettiest in the shade of alders and maple.  Later in the summer it is not as distinctive, blending in with other shrubs, appearing somewhat like a willow.  Because of its thicket-forming, suckering habit, it is not a good choice for a formal garden, but is a great choice for greenbelts and reclamation sites.

In the summer, the leaves are a darker green.

In the summer, the leaves are a darker green.

It is best in a woodland setting.

It is best in a woodland setting.

 

 

 

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

Fruit turns dark purple when ripe.

Fruit turns dark purple when ripe.

Propagation: Soak seeds in water for 24 hours and stratify 120 days at 40º F (4º C).  Softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings may be taken in late summer. Suckers around the base of shrub may be divided in fall or winter.

Use by People: Indian Plums were eaten in small quantities fresh, cooked, or dried by Native Americans.  Flavor of unripe fruit is bitter and astringent, but they become more palatable when they are fully ripe.  Natives also used the twigs and bark for various medicinal uses.  Leaves, seeds and even fruit may contain small quantities of hydrogen cyanide, and should therefore only be consumed in small quantities.

Use by Wildlife: Indian Plums are highly attractive to birds such as cedar waxwings and are also eaten by mammals.  Flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds, butterflies, native bees and other insects.

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

 

 

Ocean Spray, Holodiscus discolor

Oceanspray                                                                        The Rose Family–Rosaceae

Holodiscus discolorHolodiscus discolor (Pursh.) Maxim

(hole-oh-DIS-cuss dis-KULL-er)

Names: Holodiscus means entire disc, referring to the unlobed disc lining the hypanthium (in the rose family, the hypanthium is an enlarged cup or rim that supports the sepals, petals and stamens).  Discolor means two-colored; the leaves are green on the upper surface, paler beneath.  It is also known as Creambush, Creambush Rock Spirea or Ironwood.  Both Oceanspray and Creambush refer to its cascading, creamy-white flower clusters.  It is called Ironwood due to the strength of its wood.

 

Relationships: There are seven to ten species of Holodiscus, all native to the Americas; from British Columbia to Bolivia.  Two species are recognized by USDA in North America: Holodiscus discolor and H. dumosus, Rockspiraea, which is native from Idaho south to Arizona and western Texas.  Some species, such as H. microphylla, and H. australis, recognized by other authors, are included in Holodiscus discolor. 

Distribution of Ocean Spray from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Ocean Spray from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: It is native from southern British Columbia to southern California, east to western Montana, Colorado and Arizona.  All U.S species are similar and are mostly only separated due to different leaf morphologies and distributions.

Growth: Oceanspray can range from 2.5 feet (.75m) on harsh, cold and windy sites to 12-20 feet (4- 7m) in open coastal forests, but they more often grow 3-10 feet (1-3m). They rarely live more than 30 years.  Oceanspray growing near the rim of Crater Lake look very different from those growing in a sheltered forest.  Besides being much shorter, the leaves are smaller and thicker.

Ocean Spray

Habitat: Oceanspray grows on dry to moist, open forests or coastal bluffs and is common in open, disturbed areas, such as logged or burned areas and roadsides.

Holodiscus discolor leavesDiagnostic Characters: Oceanspray can be recognized by its alternate, oval to triangular leaves with lobed or coarsely and doubly toothed margins.  The green, upper surface of the leaves can be smooth or coarsely-hairy; the paler, under surface is strongly veined and soft-hairy.  Its flowers are white to cream with lilac-like drooping clusters.  Seeds are actually wooly achenes (dry, one-seeded fruit) in tiny dry capsules.  It usually has several main stems with brownish peeling bark; the ends of the branches arch gracefully outward.

 

Holodiscus discolor flowers

 

In the Landscape: Oceanspray can add charm to a garden with its attractive, small, lobed leaves and graceful arching habit.  Its creamy-white drooping flower clusters are spectacular in full bloom but are not as attractive when they turn brown later in the summer.  It is drought tolerant– ideal for drier areas of a landscape.  It is a good choice for a sunny woodland garden, near the back of a shrub bed, or next to a building.

Holodiscus discolor flower clusterPhenology: Bloom time:  June-July. Fruit ripens: Late summer.

Propagation: Seeds require a 120 day cold stratification period at 40ºF (4ºC) but they germinate readily and abundantly after the stratification requirement is met.  It is easiest just to sow the seeds in an outside bed in fall for later transplanting. Hardwood or (semi-hardwood) cuttings may have some success.  Layering and division are also possible. Oceanspray will sprout from the root crown after top kill.

 

Use by People: The wood, known as “Ironwood” in English, was used for many tools and utensils by natives.  It was made even harder by heating it over a fire and polishing it with horsetail stems.  It was used for roasting tongs “because it won’t burn,” for digging sticks, fishing hooks, needles, canoe paddles, bows, and spear, harpoon, and arrow shafts,  Oceanspray pegs were used in construction, when nails were not readily available.

Use by Wildlife: Oceanspray has little food value for wildlife.  Browsers consume it only when more palatable food is scarce, but it appears to be palatable to native slugs.  Oceanspray provides good cover for birds, small mammals and amphibians, such as the Pacific Treefrog.  Flowers are pollinated by insects.  Seeds, although most often disseminated by wind may also be dispersed by animals.

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

 

Saskatoon Serviceberry, Amelanchier alnifolia

Saskatoon Serviceberry                        The Rose Family–Rosaceae

Amelanchier alnifolia (Nutt.) Nut. ex M. Roem

(am-el-ang-KEY-er  aln-IH-foal-ee-uh)Amelanchier alnifolia shrub

Names: Saskatoon Serviceberry is a combination of two of its most familiar common names.  It is also known as Juneberry, or Western Serviceberry.  Historically it was also called “pigeon berry.” In some regions, serviceberry is pronounced “sarvis”-berry.  Saskatoon comes from the Cree word for Serviceberry.  The city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was named after the berry. The name “serviceberry” apparently comes from the similarity of the fruit to the related European Sorbus.  The origin of the generic name Amelanchier is derived from the French name of the European species, Amelanchier ovalis.  Alnifolia means “alder-like” leaves.

 

Amelanchier alnifolia flowers2Relationships: There are about 20 species of Amelanchier, all shrubs or small trees. Most are native to North America with two in Asia and one in Europe.  In some literature, Saskatoon Serviceberry is listed as Amelanchier florida.  Notable varieties in the west include var. semiintegrifolia (Douglas, quoted in Hitchcock & Cronquist, writes that it is “plentiful about the Grand Rapids, and at Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia, and on the high ground of the Multnomak (sic) River.;” var. cusickii from the east side of the Cascades has larger flowers; and var. humptulipensis was discovered on the Humptulips Prairie in Grays Harbor County, Washington.  Serviceberries hybridize readily making species identification sometimes difficult.   Cultivated varieties are grown for larger, sweeter berries, especially in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Distribution of Saskatoon Serviceberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Saskatoon Serviceberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: Saskatoon Serviceberry is found throughout most of Canada and western North America; from Alaska to California in the west; reaching eastward in Canada to Quebec; to western Colorado and northern Nebraska and Iowa in the United States.

 

 

 

 

Amelanchier alnifolia shrub EllensburgGrowth: Saskatoon Serviceberry grows 3-15 ft. (1-5m) tall, sometimes taller.  It is relatively short-lived; most will live about 20 years but some have survived to 85.

Habitat:  It grows in a variety of habitats from rocky shorelines, stream banks, and open forests to prairies and dry mountain slopes. Wetland designation: FACU, It usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally is found on wetlands.

 

 

 

Diagnostic Characters: The thin, round leaves of Saskatoon Serviceberry are entire (not toothed) at the base and regularly toothed along the upper margin.  The showy flowers are white and star-like.  The ripe fruit is a small berry-like pome; dark, reddish purple to nearly black.

Amelanchier alnifolia flowers3Amelanchier alnifolia fruit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Landscape: Serviceberry is an outstanding landscape plant.  Not only is it attractive through every season, it has the bonus of producing edible fruit.  In spring, it is loaded with bright, star-like white blossoms.  In late summer, it produces clusters of purplish-black little “apples;” soon followed by the changing of the leaves to yellow or red in autumn.  An attractive branching pattern adds winter interest.  It grows in sun or partial shade; and is superb in an open woodland garden or on a sunny bank.

Amelanchier alnifolia & Vaccinium ovatum

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

Amelanchier alnifolia flowers4

Propagation:  Seeds require a cold stratification for 180 days at 40ºF (4ºC).  “Green” seeds that are harvested before they are fully formed and the seed coat has hardened may require less time.  Stored seed may benefit from a warm stratification period for 4 weeks prior to the cold stratification; otherwise seeds may take 18 months or more to germinate.  Suckers that have roots may be divided from the mother plant.   Layering is possible but it may take 18 months for roots to grow sufficiently.

Amelanchier alnifolia fruit2Use by People: Natives ate the fruit fresh and dried; some used it to season soup or meat.  Some tribes used burning to encourage stands of Saskatoon; it will resprout from the root crown or rhizomes after the top is killed by fire and may fruit again after two years.  Interior tribes used the tough wood for arrows, digging sticks, and drying racks.  Coastal tribes used it for rigging their halibut lines.  The Snohomish used the wood to make discs for a gambling game called slahalem.  In early American folklore, the plant’s flowering time signaled pioneers that the ground had thawed enough in spring for the burial of the winter’s dead. Today people use the fruit for making pastries, jellies and syrups.

Use by Wildlife: Saskatoon serviceberry is a valuable wildlife plant.  Many species of rodents and songbirds eat the fruits, including chipmunks, crows, thrushes, robins and Western Tanagers.  Black Bears, beaver, marmots, and hares eat twigs, foliage, fruits and bark.  Moose elk, and deer, especially Mule Deer, browse the twigs and foliage; however due to the high concentration of cyanogenic glycosides in young twigs, a diet consisting of  more than 35% Saskatoon Serviceberry may be fatal.

 Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Dwarf Serviceberry

Amelanchier pumila (Torr. & A. Gray) Nutt. ex M. Roem.

    This species is often listed as a variety of Saskatoon Serviceberry (A. alnifolia var. pumila) and is very similar except for its smaller stature (pumila means dwarf) and smoother, less fuzzy flowers and leaves.  It grows 3-6 feet (1-2m) tall.  Its leaves are somewhat leathery.  In Washington, it is more common on the eastern slopes of the Cascades; its range extending through the Sierras of California, eastward to western Montana and northwestern New Mexico.  Dwarf Serviceberry is at home on drier mountain slopes and open prairies.

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Other Deciduous Vacciniums

Alaskan Blueberry, Vaccinium alaskaense Howell

Distribution of Alaska Blueberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Alaska Blueberry from USDA Plants Database

   Alaskan Blueberry is one of the dominant shrubs in coastal forests of Alaska and B.C, growing to 6 ft (2m).  It is believed to be a polyploid hybrid derived from Oval-leaf Blueberry (V.ovalifolium) and Red Huckleberry (V. parvifolium).  It often grows together with Oval-leaved Blueberry. The two are difficult to tell apart.  Alaskan Blueberries are bluish to purplish black without bloom.  They are usually darker than and not as sweet as Oval-leaved Blueberries.  The twigs are strongly angled and yellowish-green.  The bronze to pinkish green flowers appear with or after the leaves.  On Alaska Blueberry, if you look closely, there are widely spaced hairs along the midvein on the underside of the leaves. Many sources lump it with Vaccinium ovalifolium.

 Links:

USDA Plants Database

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

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Plants for a Future Database

 

Dwarf Bilberry, Vaccinium caespitosum Michx.   FACU

 

Distribution of Dwarf Bilberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Dwarf Bilberry from USDA Plants Database

   Dwarf Bilberry, also known in various combinations of Dwarf, Swamp or Sierra with Blueberry, Bilberry, Huckleberry, Whortleberry, Grouseberry, is a low spreading, mat-forming shrub, growing to 12 in. (30 cm) tall.  It grows in bogs, and subalpine wet meadows.  Its urn-shaped flowers are white to pink and narrow with 5 lobes.  Its leaves are distinctly toothed, bright green on both sides, with a pronounced network of veins on the underside.  Its sweet, blue berries have a pale gray bloom and are preferred over many other blueberries. It is an extremely important food for Grizzly and Black Bears.

 Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

 

Cascade Huckleberry Vaccinium deliciosum  Piper

Distribution of Cascade Huckleberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Cascade Huckleberry from USDA Plants Database

    Cascade Huckleberry is a low, mat-forming shrub, growing to 6-12 in. (15-30 cm) tall.   It grows in subalpine and alpine meadows of the Cascades and the Olympics.  It is similar to Dwarf Bilberry but its leaves have a whitish bloom on their undersides and its pink flowers are nearly round.  Its blue berries are delicious as its name suggests.

 

 

 

 Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

 

Bog Blueberry, Vaccinium uliginosum L.       FACW+

Distribution of Bog Blueberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Bog Blueberry from USDA Plants Database

    Bog Blueberry is a small, mat-forming shrub, growing 4 to 12 in. (10-30cm) tall.  It may also be known in various combinations of Bog, Alpine or Northern with Bilberry, Whortleberry, Huckleberry or Blueberry. It is found in bogs and subalpine heath throughout the northern latitudes. The flowers and fruit resemble those of commercial blueberries.  Its pink flowers usually have 4 lobes.  Its oval leaves are broadest above the middle and are green above, pale below with a strongly pronounced network of veins. The sweet berries were an important food for natives, especially of Canada and Alaska.  It is one of the most important fruits for Black Bears in the interior of Alaska.

 Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn

Oval-leaved Blueberry, Vaccinium ovalifolium

Oval-leaved Blueberry         The Heath Family– Ericaceae

 Vaccinium ovalifolium Sm.

(Vax-IH-nee-um oh-val-ih-FOAL-ee-um)

Names: Oval-leaved Blueberry is also known as Oval-leaved or Black Huckleberry or Early Blueberry.  Ovalifolium means oval-leaved.

Oval leaved Blueberry bush

Relationships: There are about 450 species of Vaccinium worldwide, about 40 in North America with about 15 in the Pacific Northwest.  The genus Vaccinium includes Blueberries, Huckleberries, Cranberries, Lingonberries, Whortleberries, Bilberries and Cowberries.

Distribution of Oval-leaved Blueberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution of Oval-leaved Blueberry from USDA Plants Database

Distribution: This species is found from southern Alaska to Oregon in the west, including the Idaho Panhandle and Montana. In the eastern United States it is found only in Upper Michigan. It is found in all the Canadian provinces and territories, excluding Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Nunavut Territory.  It is also found stretching across much of the Pacific Rim from the Aleutians to Japan and parts of the eastern mainland of Asia.

 

Vaccinium ovalifolium bushGrowth: Oval-leaved Blueberry grows from 3-9ft. (1-3m), and grows a maximum of 12 inches (30cm) a year.

Habitat:  It grows in open forests, clearings and bogs, preferring moist soils; from sea-level to the timberline.  Plants in arctic and subarctic zones are often low and broom-like; repeated browsing produces the same effect.  Wetland designation: UPL, Obligate Upland, it occurs in wetlands in other regions but almost always occurs in non-wetlands in the northwest.

Oval leaved Blueberry berryDiagnostic Characters: The young twigs of Oval-leaved Blueberry are brownish or reddish to yellowish, angled and grooved.  Flowers are urn-shaped and pink; they usually appear before or with the oval-shaped leaves.  Berries are blue-black with a bluish bloom—very much like commercial blueberries.

 

In the Landscape: Oval-Leaved Blueberry is attractive in a woodland garden, especially when grown along with Red Huckleberry.  Their similar architecture and foliage shapes create an enchanting visual harmony; their berries, contrasting, blue vs. red.

Phenology: Bloom time:  April-July; Fruit ripens: June-August.

Propagation: Oval-leaf Huckleberry regenerates naturally by sprouting from basal buds and rhizomes.  Seeds germinate best when exposed to warm temperatures (~15 days), then cold temperatures (~15 days).  Germination is typically between 50-60%, but may be over 90% under optimal conditions.  Division, layering and cuttings are also possible.

Use by People: Natives ate the tart, flavorful berries fresh, dried, or mixed with oil or oolichan grease.  The berries also make excellent jelly or wine.

Use by Wildlife: As with other huckleberries, Oval-leaved Blueberry is an important food for both Black and Grizzly Bears.

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

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

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn