Flora In Forest Park (Portland) II

Vaccinium parvifolium Red Huckleberry

Red Huckleberry has been a valued food source to many coastal aboriginal groups; it is even used as fish bait.

Prunella vulgaris Heal-all

Heal-all is common on roadsides and disturbed earth. Their fibrous roots system helps reclaim losses to erosion. Heal-all plays a role in amending soils throughout the NW. The common, humble Heal-all seems all the more heroic when one considers the range of the humble Heal-all. Prunella vulgaris was introduced "from Eurasia," and it inhabits all continents. That makes the Heal-all a native plant of pretty much the whole planet earth. There is history of various coastal aboriginal peoples using Heal-all for internal remedies. Moreover, those peoples, as well as European peoples, used the leaves (sometimes crushed in oil) on cuts, puncture wounds, and skin inflammations (P & M, 246).

Rubus spectabilis Salmonberry

The young sprouts and the berries of this plant were "eaten by all northwest coast peoples".

Rubus parviflorus Thimbleberry

This Thimbleberry is flanked by a gorgeous stand of Maidenhair Fern. Due to the seediness of the berries it was considered by many peoples to be inferior to its Rubus (Raspberry Clan) cousins Rubus spectabilis and Rubus leucodermis, Salmonberry and Blackcap, but it was eaten by all coastal aboriginal peoples.

Acer macrophyllum Big leaf Maple



Acer macrophyllum Big leaf Maple
This is a prolific native deciduous tree. These trees are a great benefit in the amount of carbon dioxide they sequester from the atmosphere into wood and biomass. They also plentifully shade the ground, helping us maintain a temperate climate through the annual summer drought our region experiences. Also, though the wood somewhat soft, Bigleaf Maple make beautiful hardwood flooring.



Acer circinatum Vine Maple
Vine Maple wood is quite flexible when fresh and can be fashioned into frames or hoops or carved into small implements. Vine Maple contributes greatly to home-scale landscapes. They love finding graceful ways of collecting sunlight, even below large trees like Douglas-fir and Big-leaf Maple. The deciduous Vine Maple offers good summer shade in the form of an easily controlled tree, rarely stretching more than 30' and easily pruned. It is self-maintaining in respect to the dry summers in our region. As seen above, the tree can get sculpturally dramatic. Lastly, the brick red fall color is quite alluring.