Indian Plum Blooms

The beginning of last month I was excited to see the little sprouts on the Indian Plum, also called the osoberry, which is a native plant of the Pacific Northwest. It was a first sign of spring in our low land habitats near forested areas.

In the Pacific Northwest, blooms of white bells begin appearing on the branches as early as February. The flowers turn into clusters of small, seeded fruits, that attract birds, including hummingbirds.

Now in bloom, they look like little dancing fairies, would you agree?



There is a history of Native American use of the shrub for food and medicinal purposes, however very little commercial harvesting of the fruit is undertaken today.

I have had several sightings of Indian Plum while walking my dog on the Chehalis Western Trail in Olympia, Washington.