Can you unlock the Park Berry Mystery?
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Hedgerow food | 21 comments
Mildred left a comment on the post “Can you identify this fruit” asking if anyone could identify a fruit that she had found in her local park.
“My query, if anyone can help, is about a tree in the local playing field. They are similar to the photo at the top of the page but smaller, only about 15mm, and round. They are red. The inside looks the same too. They seem to be growing in clusters like elderberries grow – not at all like the crab apples on my friend’s tree!
At present only a few have turned red, the rest are still green. I wonder if they are likely to ripen now the days are drawing in. I would be very grateful for any help identifying them please :)”
Our copy of Richard Mabey’s Food for Free
I thought that they sounded like crab apples, until she sent me the photo above. I am now intrigued too.
Any help would be appreciated.
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Hi Tonya,
Your comment got caught in the spam filter too.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Minamoo,
Your comment got caught in the spam net, sorry. Thanks for the tip on hawthorn leather.
HI there! You can actually use the haws to make hawthorn leather which I’ve been told is rather nice if sweetened before drying.
Regards,
Minamoo
Hi Kate(uk)
Thanks for identifying this fruit.
Hi Ray,
Interesting that there is a variety of human edible sorbus. Presumably this must be tastier for the birds.
Hi Mildred,
That has happened to me too. I am noticing more and more edible stuff in the hedgerows around here.
Hi Nancy,
Glad that you are enjoying the site. Thanks for your help in identifying the fruit.
Hi Pat,
I’m learning loads too!
Thanks Fiona, I am learning sooooo much from your blog!!!! Cool I now know what a whitebeam is!!
I think it looks like a Crataegus…possibly Crataegus crusgalli? If there are no thorns, Crataegus crusgalli inermis. The fruit definitely looks like a Hawthorn to me (and thus your thoughts about crabapple). But then, I’m looking at it from afar: USA. Love your blog!
Nancy
Hello Kate, that makes sense! The leaves are silvery underneath . . . it is funny, I have lived in the village for 25 odd years and haven’t ever seen the fruit on the tree before. I seem to view everything these days with a view to making jam / jelly though 😉
I think we will leaves these for the birds! Thanks!!
Kate(UK), yup, well spotted! it’s very whitebeam’ish (sorbus aria?).
…and as Kate(UK) says, no sorbus is all that tasty.
I did plant an allegedly human-edible sorbus – sorbus aucuparia edulis, in my old Kingston upon Thames garden, but even that one was really only good for the birds. It did however attract jays, which was nice, and it’s a nicely formed fastigiate tree, well worth growing.
Ray
Looks like it could be some sort of sorbus- possibly a whitebeam- what are the backs of the leaves like?Are they silvery?If they are either of the aforementioned they are edible if you are desperate, but really only fit for birds!
I’m no expert but is it a wild cherry
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Prunus_avium_fruit.jpg/597px-Prunus_avium_fruit.jpg