We’re still in the park, almost daily, watching the signs of spring emerge. Last week we did a big spring clean up: we pulled out over 25 pounds of trash, just in the trails along and east of Smiling Creek, from Highland to Harper. Lots of folks shared their thumbs-ups and thank you’s as we worked, which was awesome.
We took a break to notice the Pacific Trilliums in the park—a sure sign of Spring! These are special to the forest because they’re tricky to propogate and seeds take years to flower.
The Coquitlam Park Spark team nominated us for an award for our work in Harper Park, and we won! We picked up the certificate signed by the mayor (and free parks & rec passes for the summer) today. 🙂
It’s been three years since we joined Coquitlam’s Park Spark team! We haven’t updated this website often in the past three years, but we have been in Harper Park almost every day since becoming Park Sparks in March 2021 (being outside in nature is more fun than writing blog posts). Since we started cleaning up the park, lots of other families have joined us, so we’re now just cleaning the Northeastern sections of the park (from Highland up Rock Trail, across Flywheel and Harper Road, and down Smiling Creek Trail).
This juvenile black-tailed deer was spotted crossing the Dollar Trail, looking back at the two does up the trail.
(We sometimes see deer in the brush by the creek; they may have been disturbed by the arborists chipping the hemlocks that fell across the stairs near the Flywheel trail.)
Here are the edible berries I have found in Harper Park
Salmonberries
Thimbleberries
Huckleberries
Elderberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
(Note from my mom: some berries are only for the birds and the bears and can be poisonous for us. Be careful, and don’t use my blog post as your guide!)
Here is my tier list of them:
#1 Thimbleberries
A ripe one tastes amazing and melts in your mouth
Jason Hollinger, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsThimbleberry leaves and unripe berries
#2 Huckleberries
Per bush there are at least 20 – 50 Huckleberries and its pretty hard to find one that tastes bad
Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsMe eating huckleberriesHuckleberry leaves and flowers
#3 Blackberries
There are not that many ripe ones but if they are they are very good
(Another note from my mom: these are California Blackberries, which we know as ground blackberries. They are the native ones.)
Ragesoss, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsCalifornia Blackberry (aka ground or trailing blackberries)
#4 Salmonberries
They taste okay not the best there are a lot of them in Harper park but usually not ripe
Salmonberry leavesApv at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
#5 Blueberries
Again I whould rank the higher but they are not ripe
Ovale leafed blueberry bushesWalter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
#6 Elderberries
Even if they are ripe they are disgusting
Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsElderberry leaves
The Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus) is a distinctive plant native to the forests of North America, specifically in the Pacific Northwest region, which includes notable areas like Harper Park.
A devil’s club found in Juneau, Alaska
About the Devil’s Club
Reaching heights of 1 to 3 meters (3 to 9 feet), the Devil’s Club stands tall as a deciduous shrub. Its most striking attribute is its dense covering of yellow spines that extend along the stems and leaves. These spines serve as a potent defense mechanism, deterring herbivores and protecting the plant from potential damage. The sharp spines can cause irritation and itching when they come into contact with the skin, earning the plant its intriguing name.
In addition to its thorny armor, the Devil’s Club boasts remarkably large leaves, measuring between 20 and 40 centimeters in diameter (8 to 15 inches). The impressive leaf size serves multiple purposes for the plant’s survival and growth. Firstly, the larger surface area allows for greater light absorption, maximizing the plant’s ability to carry out photosynthesis. By capturing more sunlight, the Devil’s Club can produce higher levels of energy, supporting its overall health and development.
Moreover, the expansive leaves play a crucial role in water retention. In the shaded understory environment where the Devil’s Club often thrives, capturing sufficient moisture can be challenging. However, the plant’s sizable leaves enable it to collect and retain water from various sources such as rainfall, dew, and humidity. This adaptive feature ensures a steady water supply, contributing to the plant’s resilience and ability to survive in its habitat.
During the spring season, the Devil’s Club produces distinctive flowers. Starting as white and green blossoms, these clusters of flowers eventually transform into vibrant red berries during the summer months. The bright red berries serve as a valuable food source for local wildlife, including bears and birds. These animals play an essential role in seed dispersal, helping to propagate the Devil’s Club across the forest landscape.
In Harper Park
As far as i’ve seen, there is only one shrub of the Devil’s Club that i have seen this year in the park, but i am sure that more will come in following time.
In conclusion, the Devil’s Club is a remarkable shrub found in the forests of the Pacific Northwest region. Its unique attributes, including the spiny exterior, large leaves, and striking flowers and berries, contribute to its distinctiveness and ecological significance. Despite its challenging nature, the Devil’s Club coexists with its environment, providing food and shelter for wildlife while offering cultural and medicinal value to human communities.
We’re in the park daily—sometimes twice a day—but we have been posting at the pace of this Pacific Sideband snail! More to come as we ease into summer schedules.
