Wolf Willow berries

Yesterday morning, 7 March 2015, my plan was to go with a group of friends on a bird walk at Votiers Flats, in Fish Creek Park. Sounded as though the paths were pretty good, though still some ice, so I left my ice grabbers in my car. A short distance into the park, someone slipped on the ice and fell heavily, at which point I said I was going back for my ice grabbers and would probably see everyone later. Instead, I ended up going for a walk on my own, rather than wait for everyone else. The main path was pretty clear, but the other paths were treacherously icy.

Eight or so beautiful White-tailed Deer were the first encounter of the morning, followed by a couple of Pine Grosbeaks. Heard several Blue Jays and had a gorgeous male Ring-necked pheasant fly across the path ahead of me. Couldn’t take my eyes off it till it disappeared into distant trees, and never even thought about trying to get a photo. Saw or heard all the usual birds including Black-capped Chickadee, Nuthatch and a Downy Woodpecker.

The weather is amazing at the moment and will be even better for the next week, climbing into double digits around 14C to 16C. March tends to be our snowiest month, but so far, has been great. Not unusual, though, for us to get a heavy snowstorm in May, so we’ll see.

There are lots of these whitish Wolf Willow berries in many places and I always like to see them against a blue sky. These shrubs or small trees have such a powerful smell and some people love it and others dislike it intensely. I happen to be one of those who likes it. I also love the tiny, rather unusual, yellow flowers that this species has.

"Wolf willow berries were used by Blackfoot Natives to make seed necklaces. The berries were boiled to remove the flesh and the pointed nutlets strung onto necklaces or used to decorate the fringes on clothing. Each seed is dark brown with yellow stripes. When the first settlers arrived, the women quickly learned the art from the natives, and wolf willow seed necklaces became a popular gift to send home.

Wolf willow fruit is mealy and dry, but was still eaten by some First Nations. Blackfoot Indians peeled and ate the berries or mixed them with grease and stored them in a cool place. This was eaten as a confection or added to soups and broths. The berries were sometimes mixed with blood or sugar and cooked for food. Children suffering from frostbite were treated with a strong solution made from the bark. The essential oil is in demand for aromatherapy.

Though commonly called wolf willow, this plant species is not a willow at all. Instead, it belongs to the Elaeagnaceae (Oleaster) family and is related to thorny and Canada buffaloberry (Shepherdia)."

plantwatch.fanweb.ca/plant-information/wolf-willow