Oceanspray is a beautiful, graceful shrub. It usually has several main stems and grows to between 2-3 m tall.
Several main stems, often arching, is one of the characteristic of oceanspray. Photo credit: Douglas FraserAn ocean spray bush in late June in Nanaimo, covered in tiny flower buds. We typically find oceanspray in open sunny locations, such as meadows, clearings, along roads, and the edges of forests. Photo credit: Lynda StevensNote the striated bark on the stem of oceanspray. Slender, often arching stems with striated bark is one characteristic to identify the plant by. Photo credit: Lynda StevensThe toothed leaves are arranged in an alternate pattern along the stem, they’re usually about 5-8 cm long and softly hairy. A good way to recognize oceanspray is to touch the leaves; the leaf shape in combination with the velvety feel is a sure way to recognize the plant. Note also the fine ridges along the young twig. Photo credit: Douglas FraserFlower buds of oceanspray arranged into a loose drooping cluster – presumably this resembler the spray off of an ocean wave, giving the plant its common English name. In Nanaimo, the creamy-white flower buds of oceanspray begin appearing in June, and burst into full bloom in July. If you look for oceanspray in the fall semester, the flowers are gone and left is only the brown withered inflorescence after fruit & seeds have dropped off. Photo credit: Douglas FraserOceanspray belongs to the Rosaceae family and, like most of its family members (e.g. Rosa nutkana), its flowers have five petals, and many stamens. It’s difficult to count the petals in this photo, and the sepals (on the outside of the petals) are white too, which makes counting even more difficult. Photo credit: Douglas FraserNote last year’s brown, spent inflorescences remaining on the shrub even as new buds and flowers are present. Ocean spray is distinctive even in winter after the leaves are gone. The brown plume-like spent inflorescences remain on the plant. Photo credit: Richard Powell via Flickr
Another common name for oceanspray is ironwood. The wood of this shrub is quite hard, and a traditional use for the plant was as material for digging sticks, spear shafts, arrows, etc. Bark and the spent inflorescences appear to have had medicinal uses also.
