Łódź, Stoki

Native to western North America, mostly near the Pacific coast, from southernmost Alaska to southern California. Ornamental plant. Bees feeding plant. Edible plant - the sap contains a certain amount of sugar and can either be used as a drink, or can be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water; inner bark, eaten in small quantities with oil(?); the leaves, when wrapped round food during baking, impart a nice flavour to the food; yellow flower clusters raw, they are sweet with nectar; seeds sprouted and then boiled. Herbal plant - an infusion of the bark has been used in the treatment of TB; the raw sap has been used as a tonic. Usable plant - a fibre obtained from the inner bark is used for making scouring pads, rope and crude dresses; young stems are used as coarse twine warp and weft in the manufacture of baskets; the heartwood is a rich brown, tinged with red; the thick layer of sapwood is lighter in colour, often nearly white, the wood is light in weight, soft, not strong, close grained. Specimens with the grain beautifully curled and contorted are common; it is highly valued for timber, furniture and indoor use and is also used for carving bowls, axe and broom handles, veneer, etc.