Rubus spectabilis
SALMONBERRY RUSSIAN RASPBERRY
SKU: 1536-10
Description
Rubus spectabilis, the salmonberry, is native to the west coast of North America from west-central Alaska to California, inland as far as Idaho. 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.
In the wild, the fruit are typically eaten by birds, bears, and small mammals, among others, while the leaves, twigs, and stems are grazed on by herbivores such as deer, moose, mountain goats, elk, and rabbits. Populations of dense thicket growth can provide escape habitats for small animals, as well as nesting sites for birds.
In the spring, salmonberry flowering coincides with the migration of certain species of hummingbirds, which is crucial for its pollination.
Salmonberries are edible. Depending on ripeness and site, they are good eaten raw – whether red or golden – and when processed into jam, candy, jelly and wine. Traditionally, the berries and sprouts were also eaten with salmon or mixed with oolichan grease or salmon roe. It is still used as a food source in regions of Alaska today.
Type: Hardy vine
Hardiness zones: 4-9
Seeds per pack: 10
Germination: Start these seeds right away for best germination rates. Start indoors. Soak the seeds for 12-24 hours before planting. Your planting container should have holes in the bottom for excess water to drain. Sow the seeds just under the surface of a sterile seed-start mix, and water in. Then cover them with plastic and place in a fridge for 60-90 days. Be sure they stay moist. After the cold-moist stratification period they are then brought back to room temperature (20-22 °C, 68-72 °F) for them to germinate. Germination is generally 30-90 days after the warming period, though some can take longer. Do not discard the planting tray, as patience is needed, and they are well worth the wait.
Description
Rubus spectabilis, the salmonberry, is native to the west coast of North America from west-central Alaska to California, inland as far as Idaho. 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.
In the wild, the fruit are typically eaten by birds, bears, and small mammals, among others, while the leaves, twigs, and stems are grazed on by herbivores such as deer, moose, mountain goats, elk, and rabbits. Populations of dense thicket growth can provide escape habitats for small animals, as well as nesting sites for birds.
In the spring, salmonberry flowering coincides with the migration of certain species of hummingbirds, which is crucial for its pollination.
Salmonberries are edible. Depending on ripeness and site, they are good eaten raw – whether red or golden – and when processed into jam, candy, jelly and wine. Traditionally, the berries and sprouts were also eaten with salmon or mixed with oolichan grease or salmon roe. It is still used as a food source in regions of Alaska today.
Type: Hardy vine
Hardiness zones: 4-9
Seeds per pack: 10
Germination: Start these seeds right away for best germination rates. Start indoors. Soak the seeds for 12-24 hours before planting. Your planting container should have holes in the bottom for excess water to drain. Sow the seeds just under the surface of a sterile seed-start mix, and water in. Then cover them with plastic and place in a fridge for 60-90 days. Be sure they stay moist. After the cold-moist stratification period they are then brought back to room temperature (20-22 °C, 68-72 °F) for them to germinate. Germination is generally 30-90 days after the warming period, though some can take longer. Do not discard the planting tray, as patience is needed, and they are well worth the wait.
