Salmonberry

salmonberry - tammi miller

Rubus spectabilis

General:  Erect, largely unarmed, branching, to 4 m tall, from branching rhizomes, often forming dense thickets; twigs zigzag, hairless, with scattered prickles; back golden-brown, shredding.

Leaves:  Alternate, deciduous, usually with 3 leaflets, dark-green, sharply toothed.

Flowers: Pink to red to reddish-purple (an unusual colour, perhaps closest to magenta), large (about 4 cm across); 1-2 or occasionally up to 4, on short branches.

Fruits: Yellowish or reddish, mushy raspberries; edible.

Ecology: Moist to wet places (forests, disturbed sites), often abundant along stream edges, avalanche tracks and in wet logged areas; at low to subalpine elevations.

Notes:  Both sprouts and berries were eaten by all northwest coast peoples. The young stem sprouts were gathered in early spring through early summer as a green vegetable by many groups. The sprouts were peeled and eaten raw, having a sweet and juicy flavor.

 Source: Pojar's Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 1994