what is this berry???

16 years ago

Hello,

I have scoured the web for the identification of my berry plant but cannot find an answer. I have a photo if anyone is interested I can email it. The mature berries look like blueberries and are a dark violet inside which stains the fingers. The stems of the cluster and branch turn bright pink and after the berry fall off, a small flower like piece is left in its place. Before the berries mature they are green and are not a smooth round shape, but rather a bulbous shape sort of like a mini pumpkin. At that point the branch and stems are also green instead of pink. They are hanging over my fence in clusters. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I figured I better find out what they are before I eat them! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU TIME!!!

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Comments (13)

philmont_709n2
16 years ago
I would guess either a sassafras, elderberry, or nannyberry.
Iris GW
16 years ago
Here is a nice picture of the Sassafras berry.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sassafras albidum
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You only show one plant, it has to be either rasp or black berry, perhaps the red fruits of last year were unripe and then turned black. Raspberry plants would have little prickles at the base of the stems and in this setting blackberries would likely have thorns, I can't see any in your photo. Your bloom clusters are unlike raspberry blooms. If each fruit is composed of many tiny bb-like drupelets each having one seed, and when ripe and smashed smells like a blackberry, then it is an edible Rubus species. If the fruit is a single round drupe with one large or several small seeds inside, it may be not be edible.
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I thought so! Thank you so much for the quick response & confirming it for me. Now I need to look for some good recipes for when they are ready. Probably jelly. We have an old crabapple tree too. It's going to be a fun season!
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Discussion Posted by Eduarda 10 - Portugal I love berrying shrubs. They are so useful and look so lovely in Winter. So, what are the berrying shrubs that you have, love to have and have to have? Ill start with those I have. - Hollies - ilex aquifolium, JC Van Toll, Golden King, Aureomarginata - Nandina domestica - Firethorn - my privacy edge separating me from the road - Viburnum tinus - some blue berries are already showing up - Callicarpa - the purple berries are wonderful at this time of the year - Pernettya - pink and white berries - Cotoneaster horizontalis - Ruscus - Hips in rosa gallica officinalis and versicolor, Heritage and Veilchenblau What else am I missing for my Winter garden? Eduarda __________________________________________________ Follow-Up Postings: RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: TheGardnr z6 MA Ilex verticillata __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Eduarda 10 - Portugal (My Page) Right! I love it. If only I had a source to obtain it! I´ve never seen it offered for trade in Portugal... Eduarda __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Herb Victoria, B.C. Cotoneaster franchetii. Grows to between 2 and 3 meters tall and has LOTS of orange berries. I've just added a picture of ours to the Hortiplex database. __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Teri2 6/7 TN (My Page) Ilex crenata (a fast growing boxwood look-alike) is used extensively for sheared hedging here. What most people don't realize is that if you lay off the shears when it flowers in spring, you'll be rewarded with a crop of dark blue berries that will have mockingbirds hopping all over those hedges come winter. __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: Eduarda 10 - Portugal (My Page) I didn´t know that about ilex crenata - thanks for letting me know. Another one I´ve never seen in Portugal, sigh... Eduarda __________________________________________________ RE: Berrying shrubs Posted by: bahia SF Bay Area (My Page) Acmena smithii(purple) Arbutus unedo(red) Cestrum aurantiacum/elegans/nocturnum(white or red) Clerodendrum trichotomum(turquoise) Dianella ensifolia/intermedia/tasmanica(turquoise to deep purple) Duranta repens/stenostachya(golden yellow) Helmholtzia glabberrima(white) Heteromeles arbutifolia(deep red) Hedychium gardnerianum(orange seeds) Mahonia aquifolium/lomariifolia(blue) Pittosporum tobira/undulatum(deep yellow to orange) Symphoricarpos albus(white) Syzygium paniculatum(purple) Not all of these have berries in winter, but all of them do have seasonally showy berries/fruits. It also pays to be careful with berrying shrubs, as the fruits may be exceptionally attractive to birds, and cause problems if spread into wild lands. This is a real problem with some Cotoneaster and Hedera species in California. 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Comments (2)
been there.. done that.. lol .. the fence is in perfect focus.. the plant not really ... ken
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fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
Hmmm....Sounds more like pokeweed to me. The scientific name is Phytolacca americana. Don't eat the berries. :)

Here's two links for you:

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph24.htm

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Phytolacca americana
sheilaschnauzies
16 years ago
I was very interested to read this post as I was trying to identify the same plant/berry!! Below is a picture of mine. Apparently it is American Pokeweed. I'm sure glad I didn't snarf a handful of those berries, they surely looked delish!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1067459}}
Iris GW
16 years ago
fatamorgana, sounds like you might be right on the first one too, now that I re-read the description. We were thinking too hard on that one! This is certainly the time for people to notice the fruit of pokeweed.

And it IS a native plant!
ladyslppr
16 years ago
This is one of my favorite plants, and very common this time of year. The berries are said to be poisonous to humans, but many kinds of birds eagerly eat them.
daesaflgatorfan
16 years ago
People in the South will eat the leaves, but they must be very carefully prepared. Me, I wouldn't try it.

However, my grandmothers used to make a pretty dye out of the berries. The more berries, the more intense the color, naturally. I've no idea exactly how they went about doing this, though.

Cut it back yearly, or it take hold tighter than a privet. If you have children, get rid of it altogether.
riverminty
16 years ago
Here's the skimmy on the lovely pokeweed:

*Blatantly stolen from Wikipedia*

"Young pokeweed leaves can be boiled three times to reduce the toxin, discarding the water after each boiling. The result is known as poke salit, or Poke salad, and is occasionally available commercially. Many authorities advise against eating pokeweed even after thrice boiling, as traces of the toxin may still remain. For many decades, Poke salad has been a staple of Southern US cuisine, despite campaigns by doctors who believed pokeweed remained toxic even after being boiled."

Indeed, they can be used well for dyes. :) Eat enough of the berries and they'll kill you- however (though I would never ever recommend it), if perhaps two or three were eaten by accident you probably would live. lol ;)
laogooli
16 years ago
This is actually one of my favorite plants, but I wouldn't try to eat it.

Here's information on uses from PFAF (of course, PFAF has edible uses for just about everything):

The leaves are poisonous[21, 62, 76, 95]. They are said to be safe to eat when young, the toxins developing as the plants grow older. Another report says that the seeds and root are poisonous. The plant sap can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[222]. The plant contains substances that cause cell division and can damage chromosomes. These substances can be absorbed through any abrasions in the skin, potentially causing serious blood aberratins, and so it is strongly recommended that the people wear gloves when handling the plant[222, 274].

Leaves - they must be cooked and even then it is best to change the water once[1, 2, 4, 33, 95]. They are used like spinach[183]. Only the young leaves should be used since they become toxic with age[102]. Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Young shoots - cooked[20, 33, 62, 102]. An asparagus substitute[183], they are delicious[159]. The shoots are sometimes blanched before using, or forced in cellars to provide an early crop[183]. The tender clear inner portion of the stem can be rolled in cornmeal and fried[183]. Although cultivated on a small scale in N. America for its shoots, caution is advised, see notes above. A nutritional analysis is available[218].

Fruit - cooked and used in pies[159, 213]. Poisonous raw, causing vomiting and diarrhoea. Even the cooked fruits should be viewed with caution. The fruit is a berry about 12mm in diameter[200].

A red dye is obtained from the fruit and used as a food colouring[183].

Here is a link that might be useful: PFAF
terrene
16 years ago
There are several massive Pokeberries growing along the property line with my neighbor. The birds hang out over there and eat the berries this time of year. Naturally they have spread the seed around and I have it coming up all over in the yard. It is quite an aggressive spreader but because it's native and the birds love it, I let a lot of it grow.

This year, I clipped off clumps of ripe berries and put them in a container in the freezer. I'm going to put them out in the feeder during the winter as a berry treat for the birds.
senger
16 years ago
definitely poke berries or opossum berries as we call em around here. while they can be attractive, dont try to eat them, they have been known to poison some animals. berries or fruit that have been known to poison wildlife should never be ingested by humans. They may not hurt ya, but i wouldnt take the chance.
barton
16 years ago
>>...The plant has an unusually high potassium content I was wondering if the plant could safely be composted, or would the toxin have some sort of adverse affect on the finished compost? My soil when tested is low in potassium and nitrogen.

Sure is a pretty plant. When we were kids, we would use the berries to make "war paint". Took a few days to wash off. Once we tried to make quill pens from feathers from a dead buzzard, and a jar of the "inkberries", but it never worked out very well. Made me appreciate the new fangled ballpoint pens.

If anyone knows about the compost let me know.
faran_juno_com
14 years ago
Just to put it out there..I am allergic to the 'sap'. I get a horrible dermatitis. Just keep that in mind if you are cutting it or weedwacking it and you have sensitive skin

what is this berry???

Comments (13)

philmont_709n2

Iris GW

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