There are several signs of spring that I watch for as February rolls into March and then into April. I know that spring has officially arrived on the West Coast when my allergies kick into high gear – I react strongly to Red Alder (Alnus rubra) pollen and don’t feel like going outside much on sunny days when the pollen count is high. However, regardless of how miserable I feel I still make the effort to get out and check on what is blooming.

Two other signs of spring on Vancouver Island are the beautiful early blooms of both Red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) and Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). Both of these flowers bloom I’m also keeping an eye open for Rufous Hummingbirds, who follow the bloom as it moves north can’t be far behind. Haven’t seen one yet, but I’m sure they’ll arrive any day now!

Salmonberry

Salmonberry is one of the first wildflowers to bloom on Vancouver Island. Often the timing of the bloom coincides with spring salmon runs. The pink flower are distinctive and the shrub is prolific in wet forests and along stream edges. Leaves of this shrub are arranged in groups of three. A member of Rubus, the berries ripen in May and June. The salmon to red coloured berries are delicious.

Red-flowering Currant

In contrast, red-flowering currant prefers dry, open forests. Unlike salmonberry, the blue-black berries of red-flowering currant are “insipid.” They are edible but not well regarded. Often they were dried rather than eaten fresh. The early blooming red-flowering currant is a favourite of rufous hummingbirds.

Look for both of these signs of spring in the early part of the year. The beautiful pink flowers are distinctive and easy to identify.