February 2012 Native Plant of the Month: Osoberry
There was no question about it - our first annual February plant-of-the-month had to be osoberry, aka Indian plum (Oemleria cerasiformis), the undisputed harbinger of spring in western Washington woods. Everyone who walks the forest paths this time of year will recognize this shade-loving shrub, with dangling clusters of delicate greenish-white flowers that emerge from the tips of bare twigs, followed shortly by narrow leaves arising from the flowers like green candle flames. Sharp-eyed observers may spy the first osoberry flowers in late January, during mild winters. By the end of this month, the woods will be full of them.
Osoberry fruit prove popular with birds and wildlife, as well as humans. By June, the fruit are ripening from yellow-orange to a deep, juicy purplish blue. We have to collect our seed early and fast for next year's plants; gorging birds will decimate the crop if we wait for the berries to ripen fully. If you are lucky enough to find ripe osoberry fruit, they can be juicy and tasty, but slightly under-ripe fruit taste bitter.
Osoberry plants establish easily in dry to moist, open forest understory. They make a great addition to a backyard habitat project, guaranteed to attract spring birds. They stay fairly small and open even at maturity, so they don't obstruct views. Osoberry also thrive along forest edges and sunny openings, as long as they get some shade for their roots, but you will be disappointed if you try to establish this forest beauty in the full sun.
Osoberry belongs to the rose family, a large and diverse family that includes vines, woody shrubs and trees. Other northwest native members of the rose family (in addition to roses) include crabapples, bittercherry, serviceberry, hawthorn, and ninebark.
For our catalogue description of the species with links to photos, click here.
