A high precipitation area, that's why they've been bedeviled by rain at the disaster site. When a few of us went to Oso to visit another college friend and his parents we were told the rainfall there was 90 in.

The shrub is an indicator of a winter wet/summer dry site condition, therefore characteristic of places like the banks of active rivers.

It's the primary understory shrub here. That, and Red Elderberry.
Yes, it's wet here. Way wetter than Seattle.
I think the convergence zone has something to do with Oso's precipitation. It funnels right up the Stillaguamish River Valley. Same for the Skykomish River Valley.
Mike

Red elder likes it moist also, although I don't think it is tied into the wet/dry thing in the same way, probably prefers that it is moist all the time.

The Oemleria around here -southwest Snohomish Co.- all seem to be male thus never having any "berries" or "plums" and are very small shrubs, often roadside.
The largest ones I have ever seen were in Brinnon near the banks of the Dosewallips river--they were female,with "plums" and about the size of large vine maples!-

( edited -the size of the shrub -- not the fruit--was about the size of vine maples. )

This post was edited by plantknitter on Sat, Apr 26, 14 at 22:19

Lots here in Kitsap county as well, both along the roadside and at the edge of the wooded areas. I look forward to them as they are one of the earliest things to pop into bloom and are always a great harbinger of spring. Once they are out of bloom - and in leaf - they tend to fade into the background so never notice if they produce the plums or not.

And yes, they can get to be pretty good-sized shrubs.

At fruiting time a nice feature is that part of a cluster will have gone black while the rest is still orange or yellow. But birds take them quickly.

Top of the height range is 23 ft. Most I see are well above my head.

I have them in my yard but have never seen fruit, perhaps the all-male thing would explain it. I'm disappointed, I would like to try them.