Know Your Neighbours: Northwest Bushes

SALAL Gaultheria shallon
The king of coastal bushes, salal dominates the understory of many forests we paddle along. It grows to an imposing five meters with thick stems, white flowers and blue berries. In some areas it seems there is far more salal than trees and moving through it can be a daunting task, giving true meaning to the term "bushwacking". Those abundant berries are usually bland but sample them-occasionally you'll find a bush with some really sweet, tasty ones.

BLUEBERRIES Vaccinium alaskaense and V. ovalifolium
Vaccinium species are second only to salal in abundance along our coast, though the species vary as you move north. Alaskan and oval-leaf blueberry can completely cover hillsides, growing together to form a dense shrub layer up to two meters tall. In summer and fall they are often laden with big, juicy blueberries. There is considerable variation in the flavor between the two species and even individual bushes, but it's great to just "be the bear" and wallow up the hillside shoving berries (and the occasional leaf) into your purple mouth.

RED HUCKLEBERRY Vaccinium parvifolium
In southern BC and Washington, red huckleberry is often the most abundant shrub. It is an attractive plant with pale green leaves and berries so red and bright you can use them to catch fish (it really works). I love them but you have to be careful-they can be tart. They're great in things like pancakes or fruit salads though, and add zing when mixed with salal or blueberries for a fresh berry medley.

EVERGREEN HUCKLEBERRY Vaccinium ovatum
This bush loves the ocean and often grows right to the high tide mark. The tasty berries mature late and you'll find them right through to Christmas in some areas. The catch is strong, inflexible stems-this stuff is a nightmare to move through, worse than salal or the other vacciniums. In all dense bush, remember to make plenty of noise so you don't startle the bears that make those low trails you're following.

OCEAN SPRAY Holodiscus discolor
How can kayakers resist this one? A tall bush that seems to like steep coastlines, its creamy clusters of tiny flowers do remind us of ocean spray even when we're paddling in calm waters. The wood is really hard and was used to make a wide variety of pointy death sticks including arrows, spears, harpoons and even fish hooks.

ROSES Rosa sp.
Roses aren't just for tame city gardens-wild roses along the coast include baldhip (gymnocarpa), nootka (nutkana) and clustered (pisocarpa). Nootka rose bushes can get pretty big; in good years you'll find them covered in rose colored flowers. Don't lie down though-this bed of roses also has plenty of sharp, straight prickles. Foreign roses on the lam from gardens have curved prickles.

THIMBLEBERRY Rubus parviflorus
Thimbleberry bushes have big, hairy, maple shaped leaves that come up from rhizomes underground. They love open areas and do well along logging roads and settlements, new or old. The flowers are white and the soft red berries are probably my favorite, though many folks would disagree. Toss the fresh shoots into your salad and sample the berries until you find the right bush at the right time-then feast away.

SALMONBERRY Rubus spectabilis
There are those that don't much like salmonberry. It is a tall, prickly plant that forms dense, painful thickets around streams and wet areas. I like any plant I can eat though, and in spring the shoots and berries are both edible. You do have to find the right bush-the always squishy berries can be bitter.

DEVIL'S CLUB Oplopanax horridus
Latin names can be evocative, as anyone who has walked through streams choked with devil's club will agree. The stems and even the leaves of this large ginseng relative have nasty prickles that break off and fester in your skin. It's attractive though, with huge maple-like leaves and bright red berries. An important medicinal plant for centuries, lately it has fallen into favor with the herbalists, which has resulted in many areas being exorcised.

RED ELDERBERRY Sambucus racemosa
Elderberries love wet areas and you'll often spot (and smell) them next to creeks. It's a big plant (to six meters) with beautiful bright red berries that look tasty but beware. Most of the plant contains cyanide relatives and the berries themselves will make you sick unless you cook them. On the other hand, elderberry wine is rumored to have mysterious romantic powers...

BLACKBERRIES Rubus sp.
Himalayan blackberry (R.discolor) from Asia and evergreen blackberry (R. laciniatus) from Europe have overtaken many disturbed sites in southern BC, particularly along roads and trails. Though they get dissed occasionally because of the zeal with which they form dense thickets, most of us don't complain about these plants despite their hefty prickles. If you haven't gorged on the huge, delicious berries until your tongues and lips are black, you need to work on your Northwest lifestyle choices.

SCOTCH BROOM Cytisus scoparius
This increasingly common invader is not nearly as well regarded as the blackberries. Allegedly started from just three seeds and a homesick Scot back in 1850, broom is sweeping across the drier parts of Vancouver Island, choking off many of our native plants. There are organized efforts to remove or control it; ask for advice if you find it in your yard or favorite campsite.