by Kriss Erickson

Created on: June 09, 2008   Last Updated: June 10, 2008

Many native plants are considered weeds to urban gardeners. When we moved onto a 3/4 acre woodland/wetland in the middle of a medium-sized city, there were many plants that at first I thought I could live without. I saw the wild salmonberry bushes, wild huckleberries, foxglove and Oregon grape vines as intruders that were in the way of more decorative and, I thought, more useful, cultivated plants.

Since the wetland designation of my yard meant that I needed to allow native plants to remain at least in the boggy areas, I had the opportunity to learn that native wild plants were far more than weeds. They are useful multipurpose plants that are excellent additions to any garden.

SALMONBERRY BUSHES

Salmonberry bushes, Rhubus spectabilus, thrive in moist ground and are often found growing beside streams. They grow up to ten feet tall, attract honeybees, bumblebees and other pollinating insects. They bear lovely pink flowers in April or May and produce raspberry sized red berries in early June. The berries are wonderfully sweet if allowed to become fully ripe. Unripe salmonberries are yellowish orange. They deepen in color to a deep orange-red when ripe.

Salmonberries are native to Western Washington and Oregon. Salmonberries earned their name when Native Americans noticed the similarity between the shape of the berries and a clump of salmon eggs. Native Americans not only ate the vitamin C rich berries but also harvested the tender young shoots in early spring to eat fresh or roasted.

According to "Northwestern Wild Berries" by J.E. Underhill, salmonberries are grouped in the same family as raspberries. Though wild salmonberries don't bear as heavy a crop as cultivated raspberries, their edible shoots and nutritious berries, as well as the anti-erosion quality of their thick roots, make salmonberries a valuable asset to a boggy landscape.

WILD HUCKLEBERRIES

Wild huckleberries, Vaccinium Spp., come in red and blue. The blue huckleberries generally grow at higher elevations and tolerate sunny spots better than red huckleberries. The red huckleberries grow at sea level and on wooded slopes and prefer shade. Since I live at sea level, I will focus on the benefits of having native red huckleberries in the yard and garden.

When I first noticed the spindly bush growing from a dead stump near the water in my yard, I didn't know what it was.It first developed tiny pink flowers, then small red berries. As I watched the berries grow, I noticed a small ring on the bottom of the berries,

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