Even though the leaves have all fallen off our deciduous trees and shrubs, there are still lots of ways we can learn how to identify them.
Some of them still have fruits hanging on the bushes such as highbush-cranberry, mountain-ash and common snowberry. These provide essential food for our winter birds and small mammals.
I was very impressed with the large numbers of snowberries on the bushes around the Bulkley Valley and all along the highway to Terrace. I couldn’t help fancying that the little people had been out having fun throwing handfuls of fairy-sized snowballs all over the bushes.
We used to call them “pop berries” as kids because they make a loud snap or pop when you lightly step on them. Spruce grouse are particularly partial to snowberries, as are varied thrushes and American robins.
One way to identify shrubs and deciduous trees in winter is by looking at how the buds are arranged on the twigs. The buds may be in pairs arranged exactly opposite each other, or they are single and alternate with each other.
Since there are only eight common shrubs with opposite buds around the region, try starting with them. Red-osier dogwood not only has red stems which get redder in the spring, but also red buds that look a bit like long pointed dog ears. No, that is not why it is called dogwood.
Douglas maple and highbush-cranberry also have pairs of opposite red buds. Notice each of the paired opposite buds are arranged on the stem at 90 degrees to the next pair. Perhaps you can guess why that might be.
Red elderberry may also have fruit hanging on, but if they do not, look for the robust stems and fat, paired buds. Also scrape the stems and take a good sniff. They have a rather unpleasant choking smell.
Other shrubs with opposite paired buds are black twinberry, common snowberry, blue clematis and soapberry (soopolallie).
People used to think that all red berries were o.k. to eat, but this is not true as some red berries are poisonous.
A good, safe way to teach toddlers not to eat berries without permission is to let them try soapberries. Since they taste like soap, the kids will be very cautious afterward.
