Salmonberry
Halq’emeylem Name
Elíle
Pronunciation
Latin Name
Rubus spectabilis Pursh
Pronunciation
About Salmonberry
The salmonberry is indigenous to the Pacific Northwest (Sierra Club BC, 2020). It grows in moist to wet areas from sea level to the sub alpine elevations. Very similar to the raspberry, the salmonberry is a thorny bush. The plant has pink to purple flowers in Spring. The berries ripen in summer and can range in colour from yellow to purple. CH
Connections
Shakespeare
Indigenous Knowledge
Stó:lō and other Peoples harvest both the berries and young sprouts (SFU Halkomelem Ethnobiogy, 2020). CH
The Halq’emeylem moon called Tem’elíle (Salmonberry time) is from (mid-May to mid-June) when the fresh berries are eaten (Yilólem, The Year, stolofoodways.com)
Gallery
References
Sound: Halq’emeylem language pronunciation by Ts’áts’elexwot (Elizabeth Herrling), Stó:lō Shxwelí, Halq’méylem Language Program, https://stoloshxweli.org | Latin binomial nomenclature pronunciation by Alan Reid
Images: Jeannette S. | Peter Stevens
Integrated Taxonomic Information System. (n.d.). Rubus spectabilis Pursh.. Retrieved from https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=25051#null
Íhtelstexw Te Shxwelí (Feeding the Soul): Stó:lō Foodways. Stó:lō Elders and Knowledge Keepers. Curated by Teresa Carlson. University of the Fraser Valley, 2022. https://www.stolofoodways.com
Sierra Club BC. (2020). Salmonberry. Retreived from https://sierraclub.bc.ca/salmonberry/
SFU Halkomelem Ethnobiology. (2020) Salmonberry. Retrieved from https://www.sfu.ca/halk-ethnobiology/html/plants/salmonberry.htm
“Yilólem, The Year,” Ítelstexw Te Shxwelí, Feeding the Soul. stolofoodways.com