Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)
Planting native species protects humans and fragile wildlife populations by providing all of us with food and protection.
This includes the animals that live in the Pacific Northwest year-round and those migrating through.
This means the benefits of ecological landscaping can extend far beyond our region.
Turning your yard into a tiny biological preserve has the potential to support a ton of native trees, animals, plants, insects, fungi, and microbe species. And there are all kinds of bugs, wildlife, and birds in that stuff; they love it. They eat it up.
Salmonberries are a great native plant choice for many reasons, but mainly because this one plant supports wildlife here in the PNW, and the berries are tasty for people too.
Though you might think salmonberries are just prickly, theyāre a great way to protect our homes and our biodiverse ecosystem here in the PNW and help those little animal buddies just passing through.
Salmonberries Are Edible!
Yes! Salmonberries are edible; I'm not kidding!
The Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) plant is a member of the rose family (Rosaceae). The berries are similar to a raspberry in size and shape but are yellow or orange instead of just red.
The rose family consists of approximately 88 genera and 3,000 species and is found in just about every crack and crevice on earth. The salmonberry plant, more specifically, belongs to the genus Rubus, of which only 37 species grow naturally in North America.
Salmonberry Habitat
Salmonberry is regularly found in the Pacific Northwest, extending north into Alaska and Canada, through Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and parts of California. It can also be found in Japan.
Salmonberry grows wild in moist coastal forests, streamsides, bogs, shorelines, and disturbed areas like roadsides and woodland edges. They form large thickets in open areas and thrive in open spaces under stands of red alder (Alnus rubra).
Salmonberry plants require less maintenance and are not destructive to our native PNW biodiversity unlike other popular non-native berry plants such as blackberry or raspberry. This makes them an excellent alternative for gardeners wanting a more sustainable and ecologically friendly way to grow food.
They are also excellent for wetland restoration projects.
Identifying Salmonberry Plants
When identifying the salmonberry plant in the wild, there are a few things to remember.
First, the arching stems of Salmonberry have golden-brown, shedding bark that becomes papery with age, similar to Pacific Ninebark.
Secondly, salmonberry is a shrub ranging between 3 to 12 feet, with perennial, woody stems covered with fine prickles.
The flowering heads are representative of the rose family, with 20 to 100 stamens centered in a circle of five pink to magenta petals and blooming from April to June.
Phenology
Because it is not readily cultivated, it must be harvested in the wild from early May to late July in most of the Pacific Northwestālater in cooler climates. The fruit resembles a large, shiny yellow to orange-red blackberry. Although the fruit is referred to as a berry, please take note that it is technically a fleshy aggregated drupelet.
Propagation
It is fairly challenging to propagate salmonberry plants using seeds from the berries. But taking cuttings and putting them into wet soil in late March to early April and division at other times of the year, are two easy ways to propagate this aggregate (ed druplet).
Harvesting doesn't hurt the existing plant either as any remaining stumps or underground rhizomes quickly resprout new growth after cutting.
Use by People
Salmonberries are among the earliest berries to ripen, making them essential foods for many tribes along the western coast. They have traditionally been eaten fresh in oolichan grease or with salmon or salmon eggs.
According to storytellers in the Chinook First Nation, the coyote was āinstructed to place these berries in the mouth of each salmon he caught to ensure continued good fishing.ā Because of this, it became known as the Salmonberry.
Salmonberries have been used in the Pacific Northwest by tribes such as the Chehalis, Cowlitz, Lower Chinook, Makah, Quinault, Quileute, Swinomish, and the IƱupiat.
Alaskan indigenous peoples, in particular, have used salmonberries as a part of their diet for thousands of years. A traditional dish called akutaq served on special occasions is a tasty mixture of animal oils, salmonberry, other wild berries, and fish.
Generally, young shoots can be eaten both raw or cooked like asparagus. Salmonberry has also been used to flavor beer and wine.
Medicinal Properties
Like many other endemic plants, salmonberry has several unique medicinal properties.
The berries can be dehydrated and brewed into a tea that treats diarrhea and dysentery. A poultice of its leaves and bark can be used as an astringent for dressing burns and open sores, but pick out the pricklies before placing the poultice on the wound.
Use by Wildlife
The pinkish-purple flowers of the Salmonberry are attractive to Rufous Hummingbirds as they migrate north. In addition, the brambles rank at the top of summer foods for many birds: grouse, pigeons, quail, grosbeaks, jays, robins, thrushes, towhees, waxwings, and sparrows.
In more densely populated areas, small little furry buddies like foxes, chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, and deer like to munch on the berries and foliage. In the woods, outside of the urban setting, big furry buddies like bear, elk, and other large mammals make use of the plant as a food and shelter source.
Salmonberry flowers provide an excellent nectar source for butterflies, bumblebees, and other pollinators because salmonberry is one of the earliest blooming plants in the woods.
A salmonberry bush is a great way to attract natural slug predators, including birds and small mammals. The berries are popular with raccoons, opossums, skunks, foxes, squirrels, chipmunks, and other rodents. In addition, the leaves and stems are eaten extensively by deer and rabbits.
Create Your Own Biological Preserve
Considering how much of our natural forest is lost to development and logging, finding ways to mitigate some of the problems here in the city is key.
Rewilding Fights against Climate Change
Urban rewilding presents a real solution to many urban issues. It cleans our air and water, connects green spaces, and makes the city more beautiful, resulting in economic benefits.
Although adapting cities is a small part of the broader rewilding effort, urban spaces are a crucial area to focus on. Hopefully, we can transition to a greener, wilder, and genuinely sustainable cities by rewilding and connecting people to nature.
We Can Help you Get Started!
Urban Rewilding can help with native plant landscape designs, builds, and gardening services. So no matter what point you are at in your rewilding process, we can give you a hand.
We don't use any chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides at any point. All our plants are native to the Pacific Northwest and do not need to be watered after the first year.
Landscape Design:
We're happy to give you advice, resources, and native plant landscape designs.
You can book a one-hour consultation with us at a time that is convenient for you. We will look at sun exposure, soil quality, and existing plantings to create a detailed, personalized plan for you to follow as you continue your rewilding process.
Landscape professionals can advise on what plants work best in which part of your yard and how to make your soil healthier. and where to source plants, seeds, and soil.
Landscape Installation:
Urban Rewilding is licensed, bonded, insured, and super excited to plant native trees, bushes, shrubs, ferns, mushrooms, and moss in your urban garden!
Adding biodiversity to an urban garden creates a resilient ecosystem that supports native birds, bees, bugs, and other wildlife. It also creates the potential for healthy, sustainable, organic food production that requires no water or chemicals.
We can solve invasive species, erosion, water damage, and pollution issues with native plants.
Book a one-hour consult with a professional native plant landscaper to find out how we can fix your problems with native plants.
Gardening Services:
Urban Rewilding aims to create beneficial native plant ecosystems in urban areas to protect vulnerable wildlife and humans from the issues that arise from dense urban areas.
Hiring us to maintain your urban yard will mean that we will add native plants from other yards wherever we never use chemicals and create lush, healthy soil, remove any overgrown or unwanted native plants, and use them in other yards! We will cultivate a healthy yard that will become part of rewilding more and more and more!!!!
Book a consultation with a gardener, or send us an email with photos, and we can get you on our regular maintenance schedule today!
We protect native plants at all costs!!!
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