characteristically associated with the humid Douglas fir and Sitka spruce forests 

 of the Pacific coast west of the Cascade Mountains. However, like a number 

 of other typical west-side species, it occurs along drainage lines in moist 

 canyon bottoms on the eastern slope of the Cascades, and also appears on the 

 western slope of the Rocky Mountains in northern Idaho and extreme western 

 Montana. In northern California it is confined chiefly to the coastal strip, 

 reaching as far south as Mendocino County, from whence it extends southward 

 to the Santa Cruz Mountains of the San Francisco Bay region, in the hairy- 

 leaved variety (R. specta'bilis mensie'sii), 



Salmonberry characteristically grows along streams, in canyon bottoms, 

 moist flats, and swamps in timbered or wooded areas. It occurs in greatest 

 abundance and attains maximum size in the rich, moist soils of alluvial 

 bottom lands, associated with such species as Sitka spruce, red alder, bigleaf 

 maple, western red cedar, vine maple, and various species of willows. This 

 plant is a companion of Sitka spruce throughout nearly all of its range 1 and 

 is common on moist sites in the Douglas fir and western hemlock forests, 

 ranging from near sea level to elevations of over 4,000 feet in the Cascade 

 Mountains and the coast ranges. It is often found on cut-over and burned- 

 over areas, but is apparently less vigorous under such conditions, seldom being 

 abundant except where it borders the virgin forest or occurs in remnants of 

 the original type. 



This shrub is an important forage plant for game animals in many parts 

 of the Northwest. Both deer and elk browse freely on the leafage in the 

 summer and utilize the twigs after the leaves have fallen. Salmonberry is 

 one of the key forage species on the elk ranges of the Olympic Peninsula in 

 Washington, where this species has been sought so eagerly by elk that it has 

 been practically eliminated from some of the congested range areas. Its 

 palatability is also fair to good for sheep and fair for cattle. Livestock 

 grazing is not usually practiced on any extensive scale, however, in the areas 

 where Salmonberry grows in greatest abundance, although the cattle and sheep 

 of the small ranchers and settlers make considerable use of this plant. Sal- 

 monberry propagates rapidly from suckers and, except under conditions of 

 severe overgrazing, generally maintains itself very well on the range. 



The large, juicy, salmon-colored or red fruits, having a somewhat insipid, 

 slightly acid taste, are eaten by both the whites and Indians, although not as 

 highly flavored as the native blackberries or raspberries. The northwestern 

 Indians formerly dried the fruit for storage, but the berries, being largely com- 

 posed of water, are difficult to dry without spoiling. Another method of 

 preparation was to mix the berries with bear grease and boil them into a kind 

 of jam. 28 The fruit is highly prized for food by the Alaskan Indians, who 

 gather it in the summer and preserve it for winter use by boiling in salmon oil. 4 

 The young fleshy shoots of Salmonberry are crisp and tender and, because of 

 their sweet, somewhat acid, flavor, were formerly a favorite food of the Indians. 

 They were peeled, tied in bundles, and prepared by steaming over hot stones. 

 The shoots, due to their slight astringency, proved useful as an alterative. 6 

 They were consumed in large quantities and were evidently in great demand 

 for food, as canoe loads were seen formerly en route to Indian villages. This 

 wild food is often eaten by children and undoubtedly is still used to some 

 extent by Indians. 



This handsome shrub has long attracted the attention of gardeners and 

 horticulturists, and a number of attempts have been made to cross salmonberry 

 with raspberry to improve the flavor and keeping qualities of the fruit. This 

 plant is used to some extent both in this country and abroad for ornamental 

 purposes. As early as 1827, David Douglas, the energetic Scotch botanical 

 explorer, introduced salmonberry into England, where it is now successfully 

 cultivated as an ornamental. 



1 Piper, C. V. FLORA OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. U. S. Natl. Mus., Contrib. U. S. 

 Natl. Herbarium 11, 637 pp., illus. 1906. 



2 Wilson, T. THE USE OP WILD PLANTS AS FOOD BY INDIANS. Ottawa Nat. 30 : 17-21. 

 1916. 



3 Evans, W. H. NOTES ON THE EDIBLE BERRIES OF ALASKA. Plant World 3 : 17-19. 

 1900. 



4 Cooley, G. E. PLANTS COLLECTED IN ALASKA AND NANAIMO, B. c., JULY AND AUGUST, isoi. 

 Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 19 : 239-249. 1892. 



6 [Palmer, B.] FOOD PRODUCTS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. U. S. Dept. Agr. 

 Kept. 1870:404-428, illus. 1871. 



