Osoberry

Osoberry are found in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from Northern California to Southwestern British Columbia. The shrubs grow in places such as second-growth forests, stream terraces, forest, or roadside margins. Osoberry grow in places with sunlight, and usually below elevations of 300 m (1,000 ft). The shrub can grow up to 1,500 m (5,000 ft) in elevation. Moist soil is preferred, but not grounds that are saturated in winter months. Osoberry flowers bloom and leaves bud in the late winter to early spring. Osoberry are relatively short compared to trees in the Pacific Northwest. The early bud timing allows the osoberry to get access to sunlight that is not as easily available in later months. When taller trees or shrubs have grown their leaves, this can block sunlight from reaching an osoberry shrub.

Osoberry are pollinated by native pollinators such as bees, moths, butterflies, hummingbirds, and more. The nectar in the flowers of osoberry is an important source of food for these pollinators in the early spring.

The Pacific coast tribes utilized its fruit, twigs, and bark, as food sources and for teas and medicine. It is one of the first tree-borne fruits to ripen in summer and as such was prized by indigenous peoples and wildlife alike.

Wood. The wood is exceptionally strong and fine-grained. But, with stems generally less than 5 cm (2 in) in diameter, this small size limits the size of products that can be made from it. The fairly common straight shoots make fine primitive arrows and the rare straight stem large enough can be fashioned into an excellent self bow. It is also suitable for small wooden tools such as spoons, combs, knitting needles, etc. The fine grain and lack of significant figure also make the wood well-suited for fine detail carving. Native Americans made use of the shrub's bark, using it to bind harpoon tips. Native tribes also used the bark of osoberry for treating tuberculosis. The bark was also used as a mild laxative, and chewing its twigs had mild anesthetic and aphrodisiac effects. Currently, osoberry is popular for restoration projects in the Pacific Northwest. Living osoberry branches can be used as live stakes in restoration projects to prevent erosion. The roots of osoberry are fibrous and are good for preventing erosion of soil.

Fruit. The fruits can be eaten raw or cooked when bitter; they tend to be somewhat astringent. …