Carkeek Park

Carkeek Park is a 223-acre area of forest, streams, meadows, and saltwater beach located in northwest Seattle. It is the watershed for Pipers Creek and its tributaries and the site of a salmon restoration project that was begun in 1980. Two gardens, the Salmon Friendly Garden and the Backyard Habitat Garden demonstrate use of native plants. Most of the flowers in this collection were of shrubs growing along the streams. Better photographs from other locations were substituted for several of the Carkeek photos. More flowers and photographs of the berries will be added later.

Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
Gooseberry Family

Location: Baldy Hill (Enumclaw WA) 4/8/02.

Description: Shrub, 1-4 m (4-10') tall. Dangling clusters of 1 cm (1/2") long flowers.

Ecology: Shady to dry woods, rocky slopes. Low to middle elevations.

Additional Information: This shrub, with its showy clusters of flowers, blooms in early spring. The petal-like sepals are rose-colored; the petals themselves are white (or rose). The blue-black berries are unpalatable

Oregon Grape
Mahonia nervosa
Barberry Family

Location: Lord Hill Regional Park (Snohomish WA) 5/2/02.

Description: Small shrub to 60 cm (2 ft) tall. Clusters of 6-petaled, 1.5 cm (3/4") flowers.

Ecology: Dry to moist, open to closed forests. Low to middle elevations.

Additional Information: Additional Information: The leaflets are holly-like. The flowers have 9 sepals in whorls of 3 and petals in 2 whorls of 3. The fruits are grape-like clusters of powder-blue berries. The young leaves, flowers and berries are all edible. Another Latin name is Beriberis nervosa. "Nervosa" refers to the nerves (veins) in the leaves.

Pacific Ninebark
Physocarpus capitatus
Rose Family

Location: Carkeek Park (Seattle WA) 9/6/02.

Description: Shrub to 4 m (13'). Shrub to 4 m (13'). Rounded clusters of small, 4 mm (3/8"), 5 petaled-flowers.

Ecology: Shrub to 4 m (13'). Wet, somewhat open places. Low to middle elevations.

Additional Information: It is called Ninebark because it was believed there are nine layers of shreddy bark on the main stems. Note the dark red stamens on the flowers. The fruits are reddish bunches of dried inflated follicles.

Fringecup
Tellima grandiflora
Saxifrage Family

Location: Carkeek Park (Seattle WA) 4/16/02.

Description: Leaves mostly basal with a 30-90 cm (16-40") flowering stem. Greenish-white, 4 mm (3/8) flowers.

Ecology: Moist forests and thickets. Low to middle elevations.

Additional Information: This is one of the most common woodland flowers of the lower elevations. The highly divided petals form a fringe around the cup-shaped calyx. These petals often turn pink or red as the flower matures. The flowers are fragrant.

Youth-on-Age
Tolmiea Menziesii
Saxifrage Family

Location: Carkeek Park (Seattle WA) 6/4/02.

Description: Leaves mostly basal with a 30-90 cm (16-40") flowering stem. Inconspicuous, brownish-purple flowrs, 1 cm (1/2") long.

Ecology: Moist forests, stream banks. Associated with Red Alder. Low to middle elevations.

Additional Information: This is a very common, woodland plant with strange flowers. (They have 4 thread-like petals, 3 large and 2 small green or purple sepals, and 3 stamens.). After blooming small plantlets form at the base of the leaves giving the plant its names Youth-on-Age or Piggy-Back Plant.

Salal
Gaultheria shallon
Heath Family

Location: Carkeek Park (Seattle WA) 6/3/02.

Description: Shrub 30-180 cm (1-6") tall. White, urn-shaped flowers, 8 mm (1/3) long.

Ecology: Wet or dry coniferous forests, rocky bluffs. Low to middle elevations.

Additional Information: The flowers hang from the same side of the flowering stem. The dark-green, long-lasting leaves are favored by florists. The dark purple berries are edible and were an important food of the Native Americans.

Amercian Brooklime
Veronica americana
Figwort Family

Location: Carkeek Park (Seattle WA) 6/4/02.

Description: Plant 10-70 cm (4-28") tall. Blue, 1 cm (1/2") flowers with 2 large stamens.

Ecology: Wet ground or shallow water. Low to middle elevations.

Additional Information: The leaves are edible as a salad vegetable, but plants growing near poluted water should not be eaten. To "lime" is to ensnare a bird in a sticky material. Brooklime grows in wet mud along streams where birds may be trapped or "limed." It is also called American Speedwell..

Red Osier Dogwood
Cornus stolonifera
Dogwood Family

Location: Carkeek Park (Seattle WA) 7/22/02.

Description: Shrub 1-6 m (3-18') tall. Flat-topped clusters of 2-4 mm (1/8-1/4") flowers with 4 petals.

Ecology: Moist soil - streamside and swampy areas. Low to middle elevations.

Additional Information: Red Osier dogwood has leaves with prominent parallel veins like other members of the Dogwood family. It blooms from May to December, with clusters of the white blossoms often growing next to clusters of small white berries. If the leaf is bent and gently pulled apart thin threads of latex can be seen. The leaves often turn red after frost. The new stems are bright red, if they get enough sun, giving the shrub another name, Red-Twig Dogwood.

Twinberry
Lonicera involucrata
Honeysuckle Family

Location: sm. Carkeek Park (Seattle WA) 6/22/02: la. Lord Hill Regional Park (Snohomish WA) 5/2/02.

Description: Shrub, 1-3 m (3-10") tall. Pairs of yellow, 2 cm (3/4") tubular flowers, cupped by dark green to purplish bracts.

Ecology: Moist forest clearings, stream banks, and lake edges. Low to subalpine.

Additional Information: Twinberry blooms April to end of August and fruits in July and August. The fruits are pairs of black berries, cupped by maroon bracts. The berries are not palatable.

Snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus
Honeysuckle Family

Location: Carkeek Park (Seattle WA) 6/22/02.

Description: Shrub .5 to 2m (2-6') tall. Clusters of 7 mm (1/4"), bell-shaped flowers.

Ecology: Dry to moist open forests, thickets and rock slopes. Low to middle elevations.

Additional Information: The insides of the blossoms are coated with fine hairs. The fruits are white, berry-like drupes (one seeded fruits) that are unpalatable. The berries persist though the winter. They have a waxy look, giving them another name, Wax Berry.

Salmonberry
Rubus spectabilis
Rose Family

Location: Ballinger Commons (Shoreline WA) 4/18/02.

Description: Shrub to 4 m (13') tall. Magenta flowers 2.5 cm (1") wide.

Ecology: Moist to wet places in both forest and disturbed sites. Low to subalpine elevations.

Additional Information: One of the first shrubs to bloom and often continuing to bloom through the summer. Fruits begin ripening in May or June. The raspberry-like fruits vary in color from yellow or reddish to purple. Sometimes Salmonberry forms dense thickets. Both the sprouts and berries were eaten by the Native Americans.

Thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus
Rose Family

Location: Carkeek Park (Seattle WA) 7/3/02.

Description: Shrub, 5 to 3 m (2-8') tall with large, maple-like leaves. Flowers 2-4 cm (1-2") across, with white, crinkled petals.

Ecology: Open sites (clearings, road edges, avalanche tracks) as well as damp shady places. Low to subalpine elevations.

Additional Information: The main blooming time is in spring but thimbleberry often continues to bloom into August. The fruits are red, raspberry-like, hairy, shallow domes. They are very juicy and fragile. They are rated as insipid or delicious, depending on individual taste.