Rubus spectabilis
Common name: Salmon berry
Rubus spectabilis is easy to find in disturbed areas of our coastal rainforest. On the West Coast, salmonberries are the first wild berry to ripen, usually in June. Northwest coast aboriginal peoples ate both the sprouts and berries. The sweet, juicy sprouts were peeled and eaten raw and the yellow to reddish berries were traditionally eaten with salmon. Salmonberries get mixed reviews for their flavor, from “insipid” to “amazing”. They tend to be watery and must be eaten right after harvest or they go mushy.
In our area, half the plants have red berries and half have golden berries. Further north there are more golden berries, and further south more red ones. No one seems to know why this is.
First paragraph of text by Patrick Clarke from 6-2016 Self-Guided Tour
Berry photo by By Ariasnow - Own work, Public Domain,
Flower photo by Walter Siegmund - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,