Chapter 4.7
4.7 Salmonberries
Nicola Leech , University of Guelph, Canada
Suggested citation for this chapter.
Leech,N. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/
Background
The Salmonberry is a beautiful indigenous plant of coastal western North America. Used by the first nations peoples occupying its range for thousands of years, it has become an integral part of the western-coastal culture, and its history can be traced through its many uses (Stevens & Darris, 2000).
RUBUS SPECTABILIS
The Salmonberry or Rubus Spectabilis belongs to the genus Rubus and is part of the rose family, Rosaceae (Zohar, 2019). Cousins to the raspberries and blackberries bear similar fruit and share many characteristics of these bushes (Native Plants, 2016). Salmonberries grow as large shrubs with many stems generating from one base,
new fruiting canes sprouting from buds each year and becoming mature after 2-3 years (Zohar, 2019). Year-old canes are light green and bendable, whereas older ones have a dark brown paper-like bark and brittle (Zohar, 2019).
The shrubs Reach up to 12 feet tall and often form large tickets with multiple fruiting plants (Zohar, 2019). Each stem of the plant is covered in fine pickles like a blackberry bush but less severe in the size and frequency of the thorns. The Salmonberry has grass green lobed leaves with serrated edges that cluster in groups of three at the base of the shrub’s pink flowers. The flowers bloom in early spring and give way to blackberry-like fruit in mid-June
to early July. The Salmonberries themselves can be a yellow, orange, or deep red when fully ripe and are enjoyed by humans and animals alike across their range (Zohar, 2019).
Germination of the Salmonberry comes from tiny seeds within the fruit, each fruit containing anywhere from 28-128 seeds (Zohar, 2019). The seeds are spread from the plant
Each seed can take 2-3 years to sprout, with some lying dormant for up to 15 years. The plants themselves have extensive underground shoots that can sprout new canes leading to entirely new
Range and habitat
The Salmonberry shrubs can be found up and down the west coast, ranging from the Californian coast to the Alaskan forests and even some small subspecies in japan (Delmateir, 2018). Thriving in coastal forests like BC and Alaska, particularly in wet, humid areas that have (Zohar, 2019). Bogs, rainforests, coastlines, and streamside’s are the natural habitat of the Salmonberry, but they can also be found in human disturbed areas that collect water like roadsides, slash burn sites, and clear cuts (Zohar, 2019).,
Their range is limited by the cold temperatures and moisture content of the environment, short growing seasons of the northern range and dry climates of the southern range act as barriers to growth. Salmonberries prefer low-mid elevations showing abundancy in any environment under 800 meters above sea level and are restricted to lakeshores and streambeds in any higher ranges of elevation. With a strong root system, they are tolerant to frequent flooding
.Salmonberry seeds thrive in disturbed mineral soil, preferably lacking in ground cover of leaves and other debris (Zohar, 2019).Events such as logging provide the perfect soil disturbance for Salmonberry seeds to grow successfully, but any occurrence that takes off the debris layer provides the same opportunity (Zohar, 2019).
Indigenous Communities
With the Salmonberries wide range, they are a part of many Indigenous people’s histories. Indigenous communities such as the Chehalis, Cowlitz, Lower Chinook, and many more made frequent use of the Salmonberry shrub and many stories are told about the berry. The Coast Salish peoples of coastal BC used every single part of the Salmonberry shrub in many ways throughout the year, not just utilizing the berries (Krohn, 2019). They used the berries as nutrition, they held a special place in potlaches and ceremonies and the non-edible parts were used for medicinal reasons (Krohn, 2019). Each Indigenous community within the prominent range had at least one application for the Salmonberry (Zohar, 2019).
Indigenous Cultural Significance
With the prevalence of Salmonberries on the coast, they are very important to the coastal indigenous communities (Stevens & Darris, 2000). It was traditionally eaten fresh with salmon or mixed with grease called Oolichan to form a patty (Stevens & Darris, 2000). The Salmonberry is a very prominent part of the traditions and cultures it exists around; throughout different communities’ traditional teachings use the Salmonberries in many stories (‘Cúagilákv, 2021).
In the North Coastal regions, it is taught through stories that the call of the Swanson’s Thrush, a frequent visitor of Salmonberry patches, ripens the berries (Turner & Bhattacharyya, 2016). The thrush is often called the “Salmonberry Bird” and appears back on the coast(McClintock, n.d.)around the time that the berries are starting to ripen,causing some communities to use it as a signal of when to prepare for the harvest (Turner & Bhattacharyya, 2016). In the Chinook culture, it is said that the Salmonberries were used by (Institute for American Indian Studies, 2021). It is believed in the Heiltsuk culture that the size of the berry harvest is a prophecy for the upcoming salmon run numbers and luck of the fall harvest (‘Cúagilákv, 2021)
Benefits to indigenous communities
Salmonberries can benefit the indigenous communities of the coast to this day. With the deep community traditions and teachings that come along with the harvesting of the shrub, lessons can be passed down from generations with modern-day cultivation (Poe, Norman, & 2013).
(‘Cúagilákv, 2021). Harvesting and cultivation of this plant give an opportunity for reconnection with the diverse cultural connection held with ecosystems (Poe, Norman, & Levin, 2013). It can provide an opportunity for healing and teaching through the traditional relationship held with the Salmonberry shrub (‘Cúagilákv, 2021; Poe, Norman, & Levin, 2013).
Benefits to community
The Salmonberry can also benefit non-indigenous and indigenous Canadian communities, it is a hardy crop that can be grown in many places other crops would not flourish (Zohar, 2019). The root system is a strong stabilizer, allowing it to be planted on eroding areas to help with soil retention. With this deep root system, the Salmonberry plant is highly resistant to forest fires and can regenerate quickly on the disturbed soil (Zohar, 2019).
The Salmonberry is an essential food source to many wildlife species, attracting rufous hummingbirds in the flowering stage and feeding many bear species and other animals in its fruiting stage (Zohar, 2019). Deer, elk, and other herbivores make a meal out of the green leaves and shoots, whereas birds and rodents rely on the seeds for nutrition (Krohn, 2019).
Nutrition
The Salmonberry shrub offers many different edible options for nutrition from each plant (Stevens & Darris, 2000). All aspects of the plant can be used as a different source of energy. Per 100 grams of the berries, there is 0.9 g of protein, 3.7 g of natural sugar, 10 grams of total carbohydrates and 9.2 mg of vitamin C and low calories (Nutrition Value, 2021).
The berries are also a great antioxidant, keeping their ORAC value (Oxygen radical Absorption capacity when frozen and canned and having a much higher score when fresh (Dinstel, Cascio, & Koukel, 2013). Berry and leafy green consumption have been correlated to a dramatically lower risk of cancer, heart disease, and an increase in brain health (Dinstel, Cascio, & Koukel, 2013).
Uses and products
The Salmonberry has many uses, being a very versatile and beneficial plant. Indigenous plant use included everything the plant produced, right down to the stalks (Stevens & Darris, 2000). Medicinal and nutritional benefits can be drawn from the berries, leaves, and stalks (Krohn, 2019). Teas brewed from the leaves are shown to help stomach issues, and constipation,wounds, and green stalks are said to resemble candy in sweetness when peeled (Delmateir, 2018; Krohn, 2019; Stevens & Darris, 2000). Many markets make fresh delicacies such as jams, jellies, pies, and wine from the fruit (Stevens & Darris, 2000). It is a versatile fruit for preserving but cannot be dried due to the high moisture content, limiting its fresh berry market (Stevens & Darris, 2000)
Limitations
Salmonberry shrubs thrive in wet environments and cannot survive in climates receiving little rainfall a year (Delmateir, 2018). Shrubs in hot, dry environments are very compact and do not often grow very tall, instead of being short and stalky with little fruit production (Zohar, 2019). When germinating from seeds, they do not require sunlight but cannot thrive as adults without it (Zohar, 2019). If the shrubs are grown in deeply shaded areas, a decrease was seen in growth and production (Native Plants, 2016). The densest thickets of shrubs are found in areas with full sunlight but continuously moist soil (Zohar, 2019).
References
1. Delmateir, C. (2018). Plant of the Week. Retrieved November 2021, from U.S. Forest Service: https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/rubus_spectabilis.shtml
2. Dinstel, R. R., Cascio, J., & Koukel, S. (2013). The antioxidant level of Alaska's wild berries: high, higher and highest. International Journal of Circumpolar Health,
3. .72(S2) DOI: HYPERLINK "https://doi.org/10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21188" \t "_blank" 10.3402/ijch.v72i0.21188
4. ‘Cúagilákv, J. H. (2021, April 27). Thriving Together: Salmon, Berries, and People. Hakai Magazine. https://hakaimagazine.com/features/thriving-together-salmon-berries-and- a. people/
5. Harper, L. (n.d.) Salmonberry Rubus Spectabilis Botanical Illustration [Painting] Natural History Illustration for Books, Magazines & Packaging. https://lizzieharper.co.uk/2001/12/step- a. by-step-salmonberry-watercolour-painting/salmonberry-rubus-spectabilis-botanical- illustration-by-lizzie-harper-finished/
6. Institute for American Indian Studies. (2021, May). Medicinal Monday- Ledendary Salmonberry. a. Retrieved November 2021, from Stories from the Wigwam: https://nativeamericanmuseum.blogspot.com/2021/05/medicinal-monday- salmonberry.html
7. Krohn, E. (2019). Goodgrub.org.
8. McClintock, M.B. (n.d.) A Swainson’s Thrush perching atop a branch. [Photograph] Living on Earth. https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=20-P13-
9. Native Plants. (2016). Salmonberry, Rubus Spectabilis. Retrieved November 2021, from Native Plants PNW: http://nativeplantspnw.com/salmonberry-rubus-spectabilis/
10. Nutrition Value. (2021). Salmonberries, raw (Alaska Native). Retrieved November 2021, from NutritionValue.org: https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Salmonberries%2C_raw_%28Alaska_Native%29_nutritio nal_value.html
11. DOI:10.1111/CONL.12068
12. Stevens , M., & Darris, D. (2000). Plant Guide for Salmonberry . Retrieved from Rubus Spectabilis : https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/orpmcpg10 a. 952.pdf
13. Turner, N. J., & Bhattacharyya, J. (2016). Salmonberry Bird and Goose Woman: Birds, Plants, and People In Indigenous Peoples' Lifeways In Northwestern North America. Journal of Ethnobiology, 36(4), 717-745. DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-36.4.717
14. Wikipedia. (2019) Distribution of Coast salish Languages (and communities) in the early 19th Century [Map] Wikipedia.org.
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coast_Salish#/media/File:Coast_Salish_language_map.svg
16.Zohar, K. (2019). Salmonberry . Retrieved from Fire Effects Information System: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/rubspe/all.html#342