Soapberry
Also called soopollalie or rabbitberry
- Iñupiaq name: Uqpiŋñaq
- Family: Elaeagnaceae
- Scientific name: Shepherdia canadensis
- Distinguishing characteristics: Green leaves are oblong-oval shaped, turning reddish through summer. Thin, spindly branches bear tiny yellow flowers that give way to red-yellow fruits.
- Similar species: Soapberry is a very distinctive plant because it is one of the only popular berry producing shrubs on the North slope.
- Habitat: Moist slopes or rocky hillsides.
- Best time to harvest: Harvest in late fall or even in early winter after a frost to get the sweetest berries.
- Uses: Berries are edible but slightly bitter. Traditionally eaten dried, but can also be eaten raw or cooked. Soapberry has historically been used as medicine - bark was made into bandages, and roots were used to treat tuberculosis.
Photo via UC Berkeley Plant Database
Photo via Alaska Wildflowers
Photo via MPG North, MN