
Why are they called Salmon berries?
There are few theories surrounding the origin of the name. It's been said the name directly acknowledges the salmon-like hue of some of the berries, or because the flowering shrubs they often grow on are found near water where salmon spawn.
Is Salmonberry a perennial or annual?
Native to Northern America, Salmonberry is a shrub growing to 1–4 metres tall, with perennial, not biennial woody stems that are covered with fine prickles. The leaves are trifoliate (with three leaflets), 7–22 cm long, the terminal leaflet larger than the two side leaflets.
What is the ecology of salmonberry?
Ecologically speaking, salmonberry is often dominant and fast-growing in early-seral communities, and declines in abundance as the canopy begins to form.
What is the difference between salmonberry and raspberry?
Like many other species in the genus Rubus, the salmonberry plant bears edible fruit, typically yellow-orange or red in color, resembling raspberries in appearance. A similar species from Japan, the red-flowered raspberry ( ベニバナイチゴ) was once considered a subspecies as R. spectabilis subsp. vernus.

How did salmon berries get their name?
The epithet spectabilis means spectacular due to Salmonberry's showy flowers and fruits. The common name Salmonberry is thought to have come from the natives' fondness for eating the berries with salmon roe, but it could also be due to the orangy-pink color of the berries.
What does salmonberry mean?
Definition of salmonberry : a showy red-flowered raspberry (Rubus spectabilis) of the Pacific coast of North America also : its edible salmon-colored fruit.
Is it a raspberry or salmonberry?
Don't let appearances fool you: this fruit is not a raspberry! It belongs to the same family as raspberries and blackberries, but this colorful fruit is actually a salmonberry.
Are salmon berries real?
Salmonberries, sometimes called thimbleberries or Alaskan berries, are a type of fruit that's similar in size and shape to raspberries. Known as Rubus spectabilis, salmonberries are actually a species of rose.
Are salmon berries poisonous?
Salmonberry Salmonberries are yellow to orange-red and look like blackberries. They're fairly tasteless and can be eaten raw (33).
Are salmon berries good for you?
As many other endemic plants, salmonberry has several special medicinal properties. It can be consumed as a tea to treat diarrhea or dysentery. As an astringent, a poultice of leaves and bark can be used for dressing burns and open sores.
Is cloudberry a salmonberry?
cloudberry, (Rubus chamaemorus), also called salmonberry, yellowberry, bakeapple, bakeberry, malka, or baked apple berry, creeping herbaceous plant in the rose family (Rosaceae), native to the Arctic and subarctic regions of the north temperate zone, and its edible raspberry-like fruit.
Can I grow salmonberries?
Anyone living in the USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9 with moist conditions can grow salmonberries without much trouble. The shrubs reach up to six feet tall and produce leaves that measure one to three inches long.
Are salmonberry leaves edible?
If you can't easily pinch them off with your fingers, don't bother. Remember to leave plenty of sprouts for salmonberry bushes to grow strong and for other animals to eat their spring greens! Salmonberry flowers are edible and have a sweet taste due to the nectar and pollen.
How do salmonberries taste?
The fruit of the Salmonberry, which looks similar to a mushy raspberry, appears to be an acquired taste. Many describe it as bland, although like most fruits the flavor is dependent on ripeness. As a general rule, the darker the fruit's color (which ranges from bright yellow to dark red) the sweeter it is.
What does a salmonberry smell like?
They give off a light, sweet scent when it rains. As a child, we learned early on that there is sweet nectar in the middle of them. There would be flower petal trails and piles all over the place every summer!
What is a huckleberry bush?
Huckleberry plants are deciduous shrubs or subshrubs with simple oblong leaves. Young stems and leaves can be waxy or hairy, depending on the species. The small urn-shaped flowers, sometimes solitary but typically borne in small clusters, can be greenish, red, white, or pinkish. The fleshy fruits have 10 small seeds.
What is the name of the salmonberry?
Rubus spectabilis var. franciscanus (Rydb.) J.T.Howell. Rubus spectabilis var. menziesii (Hook.) S.Watson. Rubus stenopetalus Cham. Rubus spectabilis, the salmonberry, is a species of bramble in the rose family Rosaceae, native to the west coast of North America from west central Alaska to California, inland as far as Idaho.
What are salmon berries?
Salmonberries are edible and share the fruit structure of the raspberry, with the fruit pulling away from its receptacle. The fruit has been referred to as " insipid ", but depending on ripeness and site, they are good eaten raw – whether red or golden – and when processed into jam, candy, jelly and wine. Native American people and early explorers also ate the young shoots. Traditionally, the berries were eaten with salmon or mixed with oolichan grease or salmon roe. They were not dried because of their high moisture content.
When do blackberries ripen?
The berries ripen from early May to late July in most of the Pacific Northwest (later in cooler climates), and resemble large shiny yellow to orange-red blackberries 1.5–2 cm (0.6–0.8 inches) long with many drupelets. These are eaten by many birds and other animals.
When do berry trees bloom?
They are the first edible berry of the season here with the flowers forming in April and opening in early May. They give off a light, sweet scent when it rains. As a child, we learned early on that there is sweet nectar in the middle of them. There would be flower petal trails and piles all over the place every summer!
Is the orange berry sweeter than the red?
Ranging in color from a bright orange to a deep red, the flavor is described as mostly tart. I have found that the orange ones are sweeter than the red ones. According to the Wiki article, the orange ones are also called “Russian Berries” on Kodiak Island.
Is salmonberry jam salmon?
For those who don’t live in the Pacific Northwest, hearing about salmonberries for the first time can cause some hilarious reactions. Recently, I was posting on Facebook about making salmonberry jam and some of the questions were highly amusing. No, they are not salmon eggs. They are not salmon mixed with berries (though ...
Why are salmonberries called salmonberries?
Because they were too watery to dry, according to Native Plants , salmonberries were eaten only fresh, sometimes prepared in the grease of oolichan, a smelt-like fish. Other theories about how the salmonberry got its name include the pinkish-hue the berries sometimes have or their resemblance to salmon roe.
What is the name of the salmonberry plant?
Rubus spectabilis, more commonly referred to as the salmonberry plant, (via Native Plants PNW) is a member of the Rosaceae (rose) family and the subfamily Rosoideae, according to Britannica . The genus gets its name from the Latin word for red, "ruber.". Spectabilis ("spectacular") refers to the salmonberry shrub's eye-catching pink flowers ...
What is the difference between salmonberries and raspberries?
Another difference between salmonberries and their better-known relatives including raspberries and blackberries is that salmonberries have a prolific number of large seeds, making them less appealing to eat or to use raw (via Homestead Dreamer ).
What color are salmonberries?
Ripe salmonberries are often orange-to-red in color. Don't over-handle these fragile fruits, and don't wash them unless they are visibly dirty. Refrigerate them in a covered, shallow container so these delicate berries do not become crushed. Preserved salmonberry products are easier to come by.
How many calories are in salmon berries?
Shutterstock. According to Nutrition Value, salmonberries are very similar to raspberries in their nutrition profile. A 100-gram serving has 47 calories (raspberries are slightly more with 52). They're also similar in their sugar and carbohydrate content.
Where do salmonberries grow?
The salmonberry plant grows naturally along the northwestern coast of the Americas, from northern California to Southern Alaska. Although its primary habitat is the western slope ...
Is salmon a good berry?
What's more, like many berries, they are a good nutritional bargain: salmonberries are low in calories and rich in antioxidants. But before you cook with them, you should know how to pick out salmonberries and how to handle them.
Do salmonberries taste good?
While salmonberry is not as robust in flavor as it cousins blackberry and raspberry, it has a subtler taste that some prefer and is early ripening fills in important niche when few other berries are ready to eat. The berries are good raw and can be frozen or made into preserves and compotes.
Are salmonberries good eating?
Young shoots can be eaten both raw or cooked like asparagus. Salmonberry has also been used to flavor beer and wine. As many other endemic plants, salmonberry has several special medicinal properties. It can be consumed as a tea to treat diarrhea or dysentery.
What animals eat Thimbleberries?
The berries are also popular with raccoons, opossums, skunks, foxes, squirrels, chipmunks and other rodents. The leaves and stems are eaten extensively by deer and rabbits. Bear, beaver and marmots eat fruit, bark and twigs.
What does salmonberry smell like?
They are the first edible berry of the season here with the flowers forming in April and opening in early May. They give off a light, sweet scent when it rains. It was always well received in both flower and berry form. Ranging in color from a bright orange to a deep red, the flavor is described as mostly tart.
Are salmonberries real?
Salmonberries, sometimes called thimbleberries or Alaskan berries, are a type of fruit that’s similar in size and shape to raspberries. Known as. Unlike raspberries, though, salmonberries range in color from yellow to orange and red.
Where are cloudberries found?
Cloudberry, (Rubus chamaemorus), also called salmonberry, yellowberry, bakeapple, bakeberry, malka, or baked apple berry, creeping herbaceous plant in the rose family (Rosaceae), native to the Arctic and subarctic regions of the north temperate zone, and its edible raspberry-like fruit.
Is Huckleberry a flower?
Huckleberry plants are deciduous shrubs or subshrubs with simple oblong leaves. Young stems and leaves can be waxy or hairy, depending on the species. The small urn-shaped flowers, sometimes solitary but typically borne in small clusters, can be greenish, red, white, or pinkish.
How tall does a salmonberry grow?
One method of asexual reproduction. Salmonberry Flower. Salmonberry Leaves. Native to Northern America, Salmonberry is a shrub growing to 1–4 metres tall, with perennial, not biennial woody stems that are covered with fine prickles.
How do salmonberries reproduce?
Salmonberries also go through sexual reproduction which begins with the process of pollination by an insect, bird, or other pollinators. Reproduction: Salmonberries are capable of reproducing both. sexually and asexually. One method of asexual reproduction. Salmonberry Flower.
