Tanana River: Cranberries and Willow (publ. 2023-08-04)

I couldn't leave the building for lunch today, so instead I upload a few more photos from the pile. These are from my Tanana River walk last Monday (July 31 2023) I went to check on "my" high bush cranberry patch. I found that many of the berries appeared to be ripe:

high bush cranberry A

high bush cranberry B

high bush cranberry C

I tried three our four of the better looking berries, and they tasted good. I spit the seeds out into the woods, hoping that would help the patch to spread.

I've been wondering for a while what these are, exactly. Some kind of willow, I believe. The new growth stems have a distinctively white color, unlikely the more common park willow I find around it.

willow A

willow B

willow C

Thumbing through my book[1] I think they might be "Felt-Leaf Willow" (Salix alaxensis), but I'm not certain.

End Notes

[1] Alaska Trees and Shrubs, 2nd Ed., Viereck and Little. 2007.