72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

Late February marks the peak flowering period for red flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum), transforming the Pacific Northwest understory with brilliant magenta-pink flower clusters. These native shrubs produce drooping racemes of tubular flowers that can be 2-4 inches long, creating spectacular displays visible from considerable distances in otherwise gray forests. Red flowering currant is one of the most important early-season nectar sources for rufous hummingbirds, which time their northward migration to coincide with this bloom. The flowers also attract early-emerging native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators desperate for nectar after the long winter. Look for these stunning shrubs in forest edges, open woodlands, and disturbed areas from British Columbia to northern California, where they often form large, showy colonies.

The vanguard of spring Chinook salmon—the famed Columbia River "springers"—begin entering the lower Columbia River system, the first salmon run of the new year. Stinging nettles are now widely available at lower elevations throughout the region, best harvested young before the plants set seed and develop a coarser texture.