Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)

Common Snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus, also know in some parts as waxberry, is a plant that dominates the Northern half of our restoration site.  As you walk the U shaped foot path you will notice a large thicket of green opposite 2-5 cm long oval leaves.  That, my friend, is Snowberry.  The leaf edges can be either smooth or wavy toothed.  The stems can be yellowy green to green.  On the more mature parts of the plant the stems can also be brownish and slightly woody looking.

From the end of June through the beginning of August the Snowberry will start to bloom with clusters of small upside down urn shaped flowers.  The flowers can range from all white to white with some pink to fully pink on the end of the branches.  The flowers are popular with bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies.

The flowers will fall off in the Fall and 6-15 mm white berries will appear.  These berries are poisonous to humans, but a great winter treat for local song birds.

http://pnwplants.wsu.edu/Handler.ashx?Size=M&ImageID=876

Snowberry spreads through rhizomatous, which are underground masses of roots and shoots from a main stalk or node, and seeds.  Through the expansion of rhizomatous the Snowberry is able to form the massive thicket that you see on the restoration site.

If you are looking to make a hedge or need to fill a blank area in your yard Snowberry can be a great fit.  It is easily managed and can be pruned.  It also provides food and habitat for native fauna, which makes it perfect for attracting beneficial insects and birds to you yard.  You can acquire this plant at many nurseries in the area.  Snowberry can be planted in full to partial sun.  It will grow most vigorously in partial sun.  As with any new planting, you will want to make sure to keep it well watered for the first year while it's roots are establishing in the new soil.  Once you have one plant established on your property you can using cuttings to do live staking, or you can dig up the little suckers that grow off the main plant for transplanting in other areas.  Live staking and transplanting should both be done in the Winter months, while the plant is hibernating, and there is plenty of rain in the Spring for the roots to get established.

Picking Plants for Restoration Part 1: What the Dirt Says

Ever wonder why certain plants are used in restoration work and not others?

Many factors are looked at when picking plants for any project; what kind of soil, how wet the soil stays during the year, and what plants are already thriving on the site.

This post looks at what the soil will tell us about the plants that should be included in our restoration.

Soil, or dirt, is very special stuff.  To call it dirt does soil a great injustice.  Gardeners know that soil is the basis for any good garden.  Soil is a collection of a variety of granular material, minerals, micro-organisms, decomposing organic matter, and can have a wide pH range.  Knowing what the soil is like is incredibly important for determining what kind of plants will do well on a site.  

To figure out the composition of the soil you can look at how it feels.  When you "feel" the soil what you are actually doing is evaluating the soil texture and structure.  Soil can be described as being sandy, gritty, or clumpy.  In restoration we take these descriptions a step further and determine what percentage of silt, sand, and clay.  We also look at the structure of the soil, is it granular, single grain, rocky, prismatic.  By figuring out the texture and structure we can determine factors like how well the soil drains water, and how nutrient rich the soil might be.  

It is useful to note that water drainage can also be affected by the soil being compacted by development or heavy use.  If compaction is an issue then the soil would have to be loosened before restoration activities could begin.

Micro-organisms in the soil are another factor in determining what plants should be planted.  Some native plants require symbiotic fungus, mycorrhizae, to flourish.  Some plants that require, or do best with mycorrhizae include: Red Huckleberry, and Western Red Cedar.  

Organic matter in the soil also affects the pH, which dictates what kind of plants can be used.  Many native plants love acidic soil.  Other natives don't fair as well because they may have evolved in prairie, or water heavy areas.  pH can also let stewards know if fixing the soil is in order if the pH of the area is extremely basic or acidic.  Fixing the soil, or amending it, can be accomplished through mixing in compost, mulch, or special soil treatments.  Knowing the pH can make a huge difference in the success or failure of a planting plan.

Carbon to nitrogen ratio can be important not only for picking out plants, but also could be used to determine if a restoration site has been disturbed too greatly to be planted without amending the soil first.  By increasing organic material, like compost or mulch, at a site the carbon nitrogen ratio can be adjusted to make a site hospitable to plants after a severe disturbance.

August 23rd Work Party

Event: Blackberry Removal at North SeaTac Park

Date: August 23rd

Time: 9:30 AM to 1 PM

Address: 2000 S 136th St SeaTac, WA 98168

Washington Native Plant Society Stewards, in Partnership with the City of SeaTac, are holding a volunteer event at the Southern end of North SeaTac Park.  This event’s focus is on planting native plants, pulling some invasive weeds, and laying mulch.  

Tools and refreshments will be provided. Please dress for the weather and bring gloves.

If you are interested in volunteering please contact the North SeaTac Stewards at seatacstewards@gmail.com.

Follow the restoration’s progress at: northseatacparkrestoration.blogspot.com

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