Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography
sharing my thoughts through words and images
Salmonberry
I first noticed this plant last week during our slow ascent up the Pacific Northwest coast from Northern California. We pulled into the Lewis and Clark National Historic Site in Astoria, OR to take a short break from driving before continuing on to our overnight camping location. (More to come on Lewis and Clark in another blog! Thanks Kurt for clueing me in to this awesome gem!) Along the hiking trail here, there was an interpretive display that talked about salmonberry and its importance.
A few days later while walking in the woods in Washington State near the Puget Sound, I noticed the same plant starting to leaf out and bloom. Such pretty delicate pink flowers! Salmonberry has a very limited range and is found from Southern Alaska to Northern California mainly on the western side of the Cascade Mountains. The salmonberry has a raspberry-like fruit and was an important food source for native Americans. Native Americans also used the tender young shoots as a food source and processed the bark for medicinal purposes.
It is a bright spot of color in the Pacific Northwest woods right now! 🙂
PS – I will be doing short one or two photo posts right now until I get better connectivity. Then, I will take up where I left off deep in the state of Arizona! 🙂
Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography 