Category: Plants

Frosty Morning

Frosty Morning (1)

This is a road that runs through the Nisqually Natural Wildlife Refuge … or did before they breached the dikes to provide for salmon habitat. It was a wonderful spot for bird watching … with an occasional other critter … like a long tailed weasel that was carrying a sparrow in its mouth and ran right alongside me. Now visitors are channeled on an elevated boardwalk. You can see water birds from the boardwalk and lots of others in the woods near the visitor center, though. Still worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Here’s a close up of frost on the native blackberry:

Frosty Morning (2)
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Backlit Devil’s Club

Backlit Devil’s Club

Devil’s Club is common in some wet areas in the Olympics (and the Cascades). It can form nearly impenetrable thickets … that may not seem too dense, until you notice the large needle-like thorns covering the stems of the plant. The red berries at the top center are distinctive.

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Salmonberry

Salmonberry

I liked the color contrast between the red/orange salmonberry and the fresh green of the foliage. It tasted good too … although some folks think they aren’t worth picking, since their flavor is very subtle.

For a photo of the salmonberry bloom (not the same plant) see my recent blog: https://ajjphotoblog.com/2025/05/27/salmonberry-flower/

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Salmonberry Flower

Salmonberry Flower

Salmonberry’s are common in the valleys of the Olympic National Park. They don’t have the strong flavor of other berries … but they are delicious. Due to the subtle flavor, they often don’t get picked, even right along a busy trail. For those unfamiliar with these, think of a raspberry that is salmon colored (yellow to reddish when ripe, depending on the amount of direct sunlight).

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