Shrub Club

Plum tree and willows at Jackson Bottom Wetlands

If you've been out and about in the past week or so, you've noticed a plethora of flowering shrubs and trees all over the area. The ornamental plums, cherries, camellias, and quince are exploding with their bright colors. An army of bees were making the rounds on our trees, having been diverted from the crocus and daffodils. It's a fitting farewell to winter, although our winter here in the western Oregon lowlands was very mild. In fact, we have not had a freeze since January 8th.

"So what about our native plants," you ask? None of the plants mentioned above are native, but there are a few natives starting to show their blooms. While walking around a couple of our nature parks in the last week we spotted Indian Plum, Red Currant, Willows, and Tall Oregon Grape. These shrubs are typically among the first to bloom in spring and they seem eager to please this year. And they also signal the start of the season for us wildflower watchers - always an uplifting moment! Here's a quick look at those "early birds."

Indian Plum - Oemleria cerasiformis

This plum is native! Also known as osoberry, the ripe fruits were eaten by native peoples from time to time. Before ripening they were also used as an astringent. The plant stalks could be used on skin sores after being mashed.

     

Red-Flowering Currant - Ribes sanguineum

In spite of the common name, the colors on this native range from white to pink to red. It also has berries, but they are inedible. The blooms are popular with hummingbirds as well as bees. The Scottish explorer-naturalist, David Douglas, sent this plant back to Europe where it was used extensively as an ornamental. These two photos show the range of color for the blooms.

     

Willow Shrubs - Salix sp.

Willow shrubs are excellent plants to use when restoring wetlands or riparian areas. They are very hardy and they do well in wet soil. In addition, they do well when competing with non-native species. In the photo below you can see all the willow "blooms" at Jackson Bottom Wetlands on 3/04/2016.

Taking a closer look at the "blooms" reveals a catkin rather than a true flower. The photo shows the male pollen-bearing anthers extended. This allows insects to drag pollen from the anthers to the female catkin, which typically forms a bit later. Interestingly, willows do not rely on wind to transport the pollen - just insects. Which explains why they do well in bug-infested wetlands!

Tall Oregon Grape - Mahonia aquifolium

Way back in 1899, this northwest native was designated as the official Oregon State plant. We've seen this popular plant in natural areas as well as business parks and suburban yards. It's hardy, has a striking bloom, is evergreen, and produces colorful blue berries - suitable for making jam or your own ink if you are so inclined. It typically blooms later in the month, but these we saw at Jackson Bottom were already starting to open.