Trip One Factsheets

RED HUCKLEBERRY Vaccinium parvifolium

Species Description                  The Red Huckleberry is an upright, finely branched deciduous shrub native to the Pacific Northwest. It can reach heights of 12 feet and 5 feet wide. The leaves are arranged alternately on the stems and are very thin and elliptical in shape. The leaves are also simple with entire margins. Each leaf is approximately .5-1.5 inches long. The leaves are dark on the top side and pale on the bottom side. The branches are smooth, green and have a broom-like branching habit [2].                  Flowers are solitary and are produced on the lowest leaves of the youngest shoots. The flowers are small, pale and waxy. The flowers are about .25 inches long and are either greenish white or pinkish. The flowers are also bell shaped like most other members of the Ericaceae family. The fruit is globose and vibrant red in color and just over .25 inches in diameter. They are edible [3].                  Reproduction is both sexual and vegetative. The can sprout from branches, stems, or rhizomes. They tend to be more effective vegetatively, rather than sexual reproduction. Many suffer from inbreeding depression and self-incompatibility during self-pollination [4].

Species Ecology                  It can be found from Alaska to California and on both sides of the Cascades, but is more popular on the west side. Moist woods from sea-level to mid-elevations are best suitable for the red huckleberry. It is adapted for acidic soil and full to partial shade [2]. It is usually found growing out of rotten stumps. It does not tolerate root disturbance. It is a common understory plant found in coniferous forests [4]. It grows in association with salmonberry, salal, thimbleberry, blackberry, oak fern, lady fern, and dwarf Oregon grape.                   The berries are edible and are very attractive to birds. Birds are the presumed vectors for seed dispersal. Grouse, Robins, Swainson’s Thrushes, Cedar Waxwings, Spotted Towhees, and Band-Tailed Pigeons are commonly found eating the fruit. Squirrels, chipmunks, mice, raccoons, foxes, and bears also partake in these berries. It is an important plant to Deer and elk, who eat the branches in the winter time [4]. The digestive processes of animals may promote germination [5].

Ethnobiology                  The huckleberry is common as an ornamental plant. Coastal native American tribes foraged for the fruit when Europeans first came upon the pacific Northwest [2]. They would be consumed in large quantities and used as bait in fishing. Berries were often stewed and made into sauces and eaten at winter feasts. The bark contains an acid called Quinic acid, which was used as a cold remedy. The taste of the berry is described as good but tart/sour. They contain a high amount of vitamin C [5].

References [1] http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=vapa [2] http://www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/PlantDisplay.aspx?PlantID=532 [3] http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=448 [4] http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/slater-museum/exhibits/terrestrial-panel/red-huckleberry/ [5] http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacpar/all.html

SALMONBERRY Rubus spectabilis

Species Description This is a deciduous shrub from the Rosaceae family. It can grow to a height of 10 feet and spread out in thick stands. The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound. The leaflets are ovate, 1-3 inches long, and have lobes as well as doubly serrate margins. They are green on both the top and bottom sides. The upper leaf surface is wrinkly and the lower surface is prickly. Stems are green with thorns, and older branches are orange and flaky with a few prickles [2].                  The flowers are monoecious, perfect, complete, and relatively large (1.5 inches in diameter) [2]. They can either appear in clusters or singly and are bright pink/magenta to dark red in color. The fruits are yellow/red (salmon colored). They are aggregates of drupelets and resemble raspberries [4].                  They can reproduce sexually or asexually. Asexual methods for reproduction involve layering, sprouting from rhizomes, and basal sprouting [3].

Species Ecology                  The salmonberry is pollinated by insects and hummingbirds. The berries are commonly eaten by many various songbirds, pheasants and grouse. When the berries are eaten by these animals, the seeds pass through the digestive tract and germinate in new locations much later. Germination is often initiated by disturbances such as fire, wind, and human activity [3]. It is known for growing in wet locations on the west side of the Cascades [2]. They are commonly found in low to subalpine elevations and can be found in the sun or shade.

Ethnobiology                  The berries are edible and taste similar to raspberries, though they lack the sweet sharp taste of a raspberry. They are often eaten both raw and processed into jam, wine or candies. They were an important source of food for indigenous peoples. The berries were traditionally eaten with salmon. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant [4].

References [1] http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=rusp [2] http://www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/PlantDisplay.aspx?PlantID=280 [3] http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2011/ruiz_amel/reproduction.htm [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus_spectabilis