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BorderCollie 27-06-2012 08:33 PM

Mystery Tree with Purple Berries
 
Hello everyone,

First time here and also first year of really getting interested in growing things, mostly edible things

In my garden I have a tree which I just noticed has a profusion of little purple berries, it has spiky leaves a bit like holly. I'm trying to find out if they are edible. The strange thing is the berries all have a little 'spike' on the opposite end to the stem. It's not a spike but a long thin bit of berry

Does anyone know what it could be?

Martin

BorderCollie 27-06-2012 08:37 PM

1 Attachment(s)
I tried to add attachment don't know if picture is coming through....

Brooklyn1 27-06-2012 11:21 PM

Mystery Tree with Purple Berries
 
On Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:33:42 +0000, BorderCollie
wrote:


Hello everyone,

First time here and also first year of really getting interested in
growing things, mostly edible things

In my garden I have a tree which I just noticed has a profusion of
little purple berries, it has spiky leaves a bit like holly. I'm trying
to find out if they are edible. The strange thing is the berries all
have a little 'spike' on the opposite end to the stem. It's not a spike
but a long thin bit of berry

Does anyone know what it could be?

Martin


A picture would help.

John McGaw 28-06-2012 02:20 AM

Mystery Tree with Purple Berries
 
On 6/27/2012 2:33 PM, BorderCollie wrote:
Hello everyone,

First time here and also first year of really getting interested in
growing things, mostly edible things

In my garden I have a tree which I just noticed has a profusion of
little purple berries, it has spiky leaves a bit like holly. I'm trying
to find out if they are edible. The strange thing is the berries all
have a little 'spike' on the opposite end to the stem. It's not a spike
but a long thin bit of berry

Does anyone know what it could be?

Martin


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Purple berries are pretty common but on a spiky plant Mahonia comes to mind:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahonia

Mahonia japonica (or some similar hybrid) is grown around here as an
ornamental but thanks to birds the seeds get scattered widely and finding
them growing randomly in woods and along roads is pretty common. Wikipedia
says that the berries are edible "though with a very sharp flavor" but I've
not known anybody not a bird to eat them.


echinosum 28-06-2012 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BorderCollie (Post 962982)
First time here and also first year of really getting interested in growing things, mostly edible things Does anyone know what it could be?

It's some kind of Berberis. Berberis are all edible, though Berberis buxifolia (known locally as calafate in Arg/Chile) is probably the best eating.

You'll probably find that the birds eat it all before the acidity falls to levels suitable for human eating, though maybe you can pick it sooner and use it for cooking. Also most kinds are rather seedy, so may need straining. I have a large bush of Berberis darwinii and never managed to get anything worthwhile before the birds get to it. I recently planted a B buxifolia but its still small.

BorderCollie 28-06-2012 10:40 PM

Yes it looks like it's a Berberis. Thanks !

I just ate a berry (what the hell) and it was sweet with a bitter aftertaste.
It figures. The old lady who used to live here planted a pear tree next to it and she probably made jam from it

I will harvest and freeze some for making jam later. Wonder if I'll need pectin? Who cares. I think it will turn out alright

No trouble with birds, most of them are ripe and still there.
I'll just take a pound and leave the rest for them, if they promise to get serious with the slug population, then we have ourselves a deal

In return for helping me here's a tip if you have a plum tree and it drops unripe fruit in the wind. Collect them and make green plum sauce (search for Georgian recipe online 'Tkemali'). It makes a seriously powerful spicy bitter condiment that will blow you away and rip your tastebuds. I know. I tested in on a friend and he started shivering and covered in goosebumps from one spoonful. Don't waste any green plums you've got a serious sauce on your hands

Martin

lannerman 29-06-2012 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BorderCollie (Post 962982)
Hello everyone,

First time here and also first year of really getting interested in growing things, mostly edible things

In my garden I have a tree which I just noticed has a profusion of little purple berries, it has spiky leaves a bit like holly. I'm trying to find out if they are edible. The strange thing is the berries all have a little 'spike' on the opposite end to the stem. It's not a spike but a long thin bit of berry

Does anyone know what it could be?

Martin

looks to me like Berberis 'Darwinii'


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