72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

Late March through early April brings the spectacular flowering of Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium and M. nervosa), Washington's official state flower, with bright golden-yellow flower clusters that light up shaded forests. These evergreen shrubs produce dense racemes of honey-scented flowers that attract early-season bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Tall Oregon grape (M. aquifolium) grows 3-6 feet with glossy, holly-like leaves, while low Oregon grape (M. nervosa) forms ground-covering colonies in deep forest shade. The flowers develop into edible blue-purple berries by summer, which were traditionally used by indigenous peoples for food and medicine. Oregon grape's roots contain berberine, a compound with antimicrobial properties still used in herbal medicine today. Look for these brilliant yellow displays in coniferous forests, mixed woodlands, and native plant gardens throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Yellow morel season moves into full swing in river valleys—Columbia and Willamette riverside cottonwood zones are the premier morel habitat in the Pacific Northwest. Salmonberry (*Rubus spectabilis*) shoots are edible spring greens before the plant flowers. Fiddleheads remain harvestable at mid-elevations, and Columbia River spring Chinook is at or near its lower-river peak.