Wolf Willow

Came across this old photo when digging through my archives. The flowers of the Wolf Willow are silver on the outside and yellow on the inside. Berries are silver-coloured and about 1 cm across. The berry skin is tough; the texture of the berry is mealy. This shrub has a very strong smell and tends to be either liked or disliked strongly by people. I'm one of those who like the smell, which is just as well, as this shrub is very common!

"Wolf-willow is important food for moose and elk in the wintertime. A few birds eat the seeds, and the shrubs provide good cover and protection for moose, deer, birds and other animals.

Traditional First Nations uses:
The silver berries were strung together to make necklaces, and the bark was woven into bags, baskets, blankets and rope. In Alaska, the fruits were cooked in moose fat and eaten." From sierraclub.ca.