Unusual/local berries you grow/wild pick

[Itmaybejj]

I grow blackhaw (viburnum prunifolium). The berries are akin to a paste made from prunes (in a good way; like a plum raisin). I wouldn’t want to eat a bowl full but I love to nibble a few on the way past.

Eastern teaberry (wintergreen) and wild strawberries are good groundcover nibbles.

I grow lots of elderberry but have left them to the birds of late because I love elderberry jelly but haven’t been in the mood to make jelly. If anybody wants to harvest and cook I’ll pay you for the product

Had my first “Dunbar” plum this year from some Oikos seedlings. It’s a beach plum American plum cross. It was the size of a cherry and tasted like a tart plum. I kinda liked it, and I don’t generally like plums. Hopefully I get more than one next year.

Barberry and wineberry are not local and notably invasive…but tasty forest nibbles.

Spiceberry is interesting but I only ever eat one, since it’s less of a berry and more of a spice.

I have some young cornelian cherries, nanking cherries, currants and maypops. I hope they all taste better when they’re older; I’ve been unimpressed so far.

I have a big healthy aronia. Produces a TON and is trouble free but I have yet to find a way to make it taste better than somewhat fruity used coffee grounds.

I have given up on honeyberry, lingonberry and cranberry. 7a summers with bad soil, drought and inconsistent watering wiped them all out. My gooseberries and currants seem to be following them out.

[lmvian]

What cultivars of honeyberry did you grow? I’m in TN 7b and my late ripening varieties are doing fine.

[Itmaybejj]

Maxie and solo.

The terrible soil and drought are probably more of a problem than heat.

[Nutbush-VA]

What cultivars do you grow? I’ve heard mixed reviews on both heat and drought tolerance and flavor. I came very close to ordering them this winter, but chickened out at the last minute haha. I keep thinking though, the invasive honeysuckle does so well here. It grows in my blackberries, on my grape trellises, fence lines, and the only sprays it gets are an occasional roundup application trying in vain to remove it lol. Maybe I should try to fruitful cousin.

Edit: I just realized you posted your cultivars on your profile. Still interested in your take on flavor and if you do anything to protect from heat.

[lmvian]

Everything I’ve read about honeyberries from the University of Toronto and the 2 major American honeyberry nurseries (Honeyberry USA and Berries Unlimited) states that late ripening varieties are most likely to do well in zones 5-7 (8 in the PNW) because they’re more heat tolerant than earlier ripening varieties.

That being said, Solo and Maxie are late ripeners, so they should do alright in VA. I suspect you’re right about drought having done them in. Honeyberry roots are incredibly shallow; their deepest roots are only 7" below the soul surface, and only about 15-25% of the total root mass flies that deep. The rest reside in the top 2" of soil. The shape of the total root mass is roughly like an upside-down mushroom cap.

I think the following factors preserved my plants last summer:

1. I planted them in an area that only received about 5 hours of direct sunlight a day, and that in the morning and evening.
2. The soil on my property is heavy clay that retains water well.
3. After planting, I mulched with cardboard to further conserve moisture.

As for flavor, I’ve only tried Sugar Pie and Honey Bunch so far because I put in the others only last year. For the ones I have tried, I’d say that they’re sour and even slightly bitter until dead ripe. You can tell when they’re ready when they’ve been blue for at least 2 weeks AND they fall off after you shake the branch. Another way to tell ripeness is by cutting a berry open. Unripe berries have a green interior. Ripe ones are red inside. They’re a bit like blackberries in that the harvest window is about 2 weeks long for ripe berries. Last year my plants dropped berries for a whole month, but most of those were unripe. I’ll investigate how to prevent that this spring.

Ripe honeyberries taste wonderful. The flavor is like table grapes and ripe blackberries and raspberries combined.

[TNHunter]

Not really unusual… but I pick wild blackberries and dewberries also wild black cherry.

Other wild things I enjoy harvesting and eating… morel and chanterelle mushrooms… redbud blossoms. Shag and Mocker hickory nuts, wood sorrel yellow and pink, dandelions. Largemouth and smallmouth bass, blackperch, brem, catfish, crappie, squirrel, rabbit, deer, turkey, dove, quail.

TNHunter

[6mt6royal]

As an amateur fruit breeder, a few years ago, I crossed the peach with the western sand cherry. The fruits were small, but I made enough sauce to taste and it had a nice cherry-like taste. I should be getting a bigger sample this year to confirm what the taste is.

[randyks]

Any pics? Who was the seed parent? Embryo rescue needed? What do the leaves resemble, more? The only successful hybrid I knew of was Dr. Hansen’s ‘Kamdesa’ 100 years ago. I hope you confirm this genetically, if it’s not a breeding “dead end” then cold hardy peach-type fruit could be on the horizon!

[6mt6royal]

I took a photo, but the picture was fuzzy. Seed parent was the Western Sand Chery… The pollen was from a Salish Summer? white fleshed peach. (Used to be the Q 1-8)… I did the cross 2 years in a row. The first year I covered the sand cherry over night, opened the cover and pollinated and left the cover off. (I think the wild plums were done blooming and the Prunus fruticosa in the area don’t cross.) The next year I covered the sand cherry up after I pollinated, so its seeds were definitely crosses with the peach and will bloom a lot this year. The U of Minnesota people also crossed the peach with the sand cherry No 3712-2 (WSC x South Haven peach). You can google “Bulletin 252, Prunus Hybrids, University of Minnesota”. They indicate the cross had something wrong with the style and it has never fruited. South Dakota said their cross had 2-6 pistils, and only fruited once. This is noted in the bulletin "Some Sterile and Fertile Plant Hybrids NE Hansen. You might have to click on to the correct link to view that. Here is the link which doesn’t seem to work by clicking onto it, but worked for me if you delete the address bar and type it in: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/2/5574033.pdf The leaves look about the same, except they might be a little lighter. I have also crossed the sand cherry with the wild plum and have a photo on my instagram 1opal6mt I will know in July if my second cross of sand cherry with peach is the same as my first cross, so I will keep my fingers crossed. Hansen’s cross fruited once, so it can be done and Minnesota’s was sterile, so there is variation. The fruits from my first cross fruited on one year old seedlings and the fruits were small also, I will be crossing the sand cherry with the white-fleshed apricot as soon as I can get blossoms. This spring I will cross the sand cherry cross/peach with the Sapalta.

[randyks]

Excellent! I think sand cherry is very receptive of pollen, and good parent qualities in prunus.
I remember reading an 1890’s horticulture journal report out of Minnesota by someone who made multiple hybrids between sweet cherry pollen and sand cherry seed parent.

[schluck3]

The only “unusual” berries I have are 2 Goji berry plants. I bought them on clearance at my local nursery 5 years ago and planted them in ground (zone 5b) and they are fantastic producers. Chickens love them more than We do, but they’re healthy so I pop a few daily when in season.

[lmvian]

Welcome to the forum, @schluck3! Thanks for your input. Are your gojis suckering after all that time?

[6mt6royal]

The article from S. Dakota “Some Sterile and Fertile Plant Hybrids” indicates their hybrids of sand cherry and Prunus avium (sweet cherry) worked, but were very small and the plants soon died.

[randyks]

Yes, if that’s the article Dr Hansen wrote I’ve read that. Most breeder’s say the same, poor sweet cherry hybrid results.
An older article was 1890’s, I believe. Probably a horticulture journal published quarterly, annually, etc. I wish I saved the reference in my notes.
A man in Minnesota had been experimenting with avium x besseyi. Said he found besseyi had 3 types, protandrous, protogynous, and perfect??? From memory, open to correction.
It was the strongly female sand cherry that accepted sweet cherry pollen and produced successful plants. I think he said he obtained weak stunted plants from the perfect besseyi pollination. Hazy details, quite a few years ago.
The man had botanist skills, I didn’t recognize his name.

[randyks]

Dr. Herb Barrett said ‘Convoy’ prunus, child of ‘Compass’ is very receptive of a wide range of prunus pollen. So it might be worth trying in wide ranging prunus breeding project’s.

[Professor_Porcupine]

I pick Lots of Wild Edibles!

Mayapples (Podophyllum). They taste like Pineapple x Sweet Passionfruit. This wild edible really needs more people growing & Breeding it, it’s begging for domestication. It’s a crime so few are growing it.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin). Berries make a Fantastic Spice. Flowers & Leaves also edible & used for teas but the berries are best. Seeds also edible & much hotter as a spice compared to the flesh.

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina). Excellent Sour-Lemon Flavored berries in Summer! I make Sumacade out of these berries, a delicious Lemonade type drink. Can also be dried to make Sumac Spice.

Red Silverberry (Elaeagnus pungens ) [ Red-Silver Berries with Sweet Berry Delicious Tomato Lycopene Flavor but without the Funky Vegetable Taste of Tomatoes (Not Fully Ripe Berries are Astringent). Seeds inside is also edible but takes a long time to chew thru that I often just spit it out.

Black Gum Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica ) [ Nice edible berries but must be fully ripe other wise too sour. When Fully ripe they have a nice grape blueberry flavor. Just spit out the pit/seed like you do with cherries.

Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago). Taste good like dired Plums x Banana flavor. Berries have annoying hard seed in middle but they can spat out easily. Another Crop begging for domestication!

American Juneberry (Amelanchier spp.). Super Deliciously Sweet Soft Pome Berries that are a lot like Blueberries (In Texture & Flavor, not sour at all). Among my Favorite Berries!

Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa ). Delicious Fruits in Later Summer that range in flavor & Texture. Some are sandy, fleshy, custard to juicy texture with flavors ranging from pawpaw, tropical, Sweet, etc. Just tear fruit in half, Eat the flesh & discard the nasty skin.

American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana ). Persimmons are my FAVORITE Fruits, They taste Like Super Sweet Dates but in Soft-succulent Plum Shaped Fruits.

Aji amarillo (Capsicum baccantum). This cultivar taste like a Sweet Candy Tropical Fruit, nothing like a traditional Pepper at all (If it weren’t for the heat, you wouldn’t think it was a pepper at all).

Yellow Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica). Fruits taste like Yellow Watermelon, very delicious! Only problem is it’s very seedy but I occasionally swallow seeds & you can spit them out to plant elsewhere as a bonus.

Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Techically not a Fruit they belong here cuz they’re the BEST TASTING FLOWERS! These are My favorite Edible Flowers in the world! Extremely Fragrant, they smell like they They taste, which is Very Sweet like Delicious Vanilla Nectar with Sweet Bean Nuances. Harvest couldn’t be simpler, just strip the flower cluster & eat raw or cooked!

[ECSask]

Berries that grow wild here:
Raspberries, they’re Everywhere. Some years they are Extremely good, nice and sweet. Other years, not so much.
Strawberries, They Are around, but hard to find and the berries are very small. Same deal as the wild raspberries.
Saskatoon’s are around, haven’t come across any on our land, they are highly prized. A properly ripe saskatoon is as good or better than most blueberries.
Chokecherries, have some on our land, to me imagine a sour skin wrapped tightly around a large seed. I don’t see the attraction.
Not a berry, but Beaked Hazelnuts grow wild in the area, they’re wonderful, but very small.
Have been told blueberries do grow wild here, but I’ve never found any, I wonder if they weren’t describing a saskatoon find??

[Professor_Porcupine]

@ECSask

Raspberries, they’re Everywhere.

What Kinds? Black, Red, Yellow, ThimbleBerries, SalmonBerries, Wineberries, ect?

@ECSask

Chokecherries, have some on our land, to me imagine a sour skin wrapped tightly around a large seed. I don’t see the attraction.

Apparently some people smash the cherries pits & all, roast them & eat them like crunchy fruit leather. I don’t understand them cuz the cherry pits are hard enough to break your teeth.
They are also supose to be fully black when ripe but sourness varies from species to species (Prunus serotina vs Prunus virginiana) & even tree to tree. I’ve had some nasty Prunus serotina vs some were decent but none were ever as good as Prunus avium cultivated Rainer Cherries.

@ECSask

Have been told blueberries do grow wild here, but I’ve never found any, I wonder if they weren’t describing a saskatoon find??

They could be describing other species of Huckleberries or Blueberries (Vaccinium spp. or Gaylussacia spp.). Just depends on how good they are at ID & what grows there. It could very likely just be saskatoon berries (Amelanchier alnifolia) especially if your in the western U.S.

[ECSask]

Red raspberries. Look like tame ones, but smaller berries. Canes get 3’ or a little more tall. They like the eastern/northern sides of copses of trees. There’s 3 different patches just in our immediate yard.

No idea about the blueberries am in Saskatchewan. Was thinking perhaps a relative of the boreal blueberries that are everywhere it’s slightly boggy up North, very low growing and great berries. Have looked over most of our farm, never found any. That being said, there’s a lot of copses of trees here so who knows.

[Professor_Porcupine]

@ECSask

No idea about the blueberries am in Saskatchewan.

Yea most of the “Blueberries” we know as such are found closer towards eastern U.S.
Plenty of Vacciumium species do grow in Saskatchewan they just might not be known as Blueberries.

@ECSask

That being said, there’s a lot of copses of trees here so who knows.

Nice! That’s sounds like an ideal habitat to find them/