Oceanspray
November 3, 2022
By Adam Huggins
Oceanspray
Holodiscus discolor
- Hul’qumi’num Name: qathelp
- Description: Deciduous multi-stemmed shrub up to 4m tall. Leaves are coarsely toothed and bright green; flowers are creamy white in dense, lilac-like clusters in mid-summer.
- Habitat: Dry, open woods and coniferous forests. Clearings and bluffs.
- Pairs with: Douglas-fir, arbutus, Oregon grape, salal, and Saskatoon berry.
- Fun Fact: Oceanspray is also called ‘ironwood’,as the wood is very strong and hasbeen used for spears and digging sticks. It is a common shrub in our upland forests, and creates a spectacle when it blooms en masse in the summer.