Indian Plum Blossoms
One of the first flowers to be seen in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the Indian plum fills the forest with clusters of beautiful showy white flowers that soon develop small berries that turn from peach to red and finally dark blue or purple when ripe. Although not really a plum, it is a unique fruit that is pleasantly similar in taste to cherries or watermelon. Historically, local Native American tribes would mix these berries with generous amounts of oolichan (an oil from a local oily fish - similar to a smelt) and was popular at feasts. The bark was also used as a medicinal tea. This one was one fo the first of the season, showing itself along side Soos Creek in Kent, Washington, about 25 miles south of Seattle on a chilly, wet March afternoon.
- Copyright
- (C)Leighton Photography & Imaging
- Image Size
- 3493x5239 / 12.5MB
- Keywords
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Amygdaloideae, Angiosperms, Eudicots, Indian plum, Kent, King County, Oemleria, Oemleria cerasiformis, Osoberry, PNW, Pacific NW, Pacific Northwest, Plantae, Rosaceae, Rosales, Rosids, Rubus, Soos Creek, Washington, botany, dicot, edible, field, flora, flower, food, foodsource, fresh, green, macro, native, natural, nature, park, perennial, plant, plants, plum, rose, shrub, tree, white, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, winter
- Contained in galleries
- Rosaceae (Roses and Kin), White Wildflowers