Meet the osoberries of Hamlin Park and become a forest steward

Osoberry twigs in winter have prominent buds
ready to be the first to bloom at the Hamlin Park
restoration site - photo by Oliver Moffat

By Oliver Moffat

If you took a walk in Hamlin Park in February, you may have been surprised to see little white flowers blooming.

Although the climate has changed, osoberries have been blooming in early February in the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years.

The Lushootseed name is c’əx̌ʷədac, and is one of the earliest native plants to bloom flowers in our region - providing a vital source of nectar to hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators after a long winter.

Also sometimes called indian-plum, osoberries can be identified by their red bark and prominent buds ready to bloom in the winter.

Osoberry shrubs (Oemleria cerasiformis) are remarkably hardy and form dense thickets that make it one of our native plants that can compete with noxious weeds at the Hamlin Park restoration site. It likes disturbed, dry areas with sunlight which makes it particularly good for habitat restoration.

Osoberries fruiting in June in the Hamlin Park Forest Restoration Site are technically edible but not particularly palatable to humans - photo by Oliver Moffat

Although mammals such as foxes, coyotes, deer, and bear eat the berries, the berries have large pits and are not widely regarded as particularly palatable for humans.

Stewards with the Green Shoreline Partnership host work parties in parks across the city where volunteers can help expand and protect our public forests. Work parties are a great way to meet your human neighbors while also getting to know the flora who live in your neighborhood.

The Green Shoreline Partnership is training new stewards now. Neighbors can attend a training on Friday, March 29, 2024 from 3pm to 6:30pm at Shoreline Community College. More information and details are available at the Green Shoreline Partnership website.

The Hamlin Park stewardship team hosts work parties most Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings.