Showing posts with label Purple Fruit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Purple Fruit. Show all posts

Arrow-wood

Scientific Name(s): Viburnum dentatum
Abundance: uncommon
What: berries
How: raw
Where: sun, partial shade, woods, landscaping
When: berries ripen in early fall
Nutritional Value: flavanoids

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are opposite along the stems.

Leaf Shape: Viburnum dentatum leaves are typically ovate, with a slightly serrated margin.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is serrated.

Leaf Color: The leaves are usually green, and there may be slight variations in color on the top and underside.

Flower Structure: The flowers are arranged in flat-topped clusters, at the ends of branches with each flower having five petals and a diameter of approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

Flower Color: Viburnum dentatum flowers are typically white.

Fruit: The fruit is a dark blue to black drupe, about 1/3 inch in diameter.

Seed: Seeds are small, contained within the drupe.

Bark: The bark is grayish-brown and may be slightly rough.

Hairs: Leaves and fruit stems may have a slight fuzziness.

Height: Viburnum dentatum can reach heights of 6 to 10 feet depending on environmental conditions.

Viburnum shrub in September with ripe berries.
ViburnumPlant

Closeup of ripe arrowwood berries
ViburnumBerries

Closeup of arrowwood leaf. The teeth along its edge give it the name "dentatum".
ViburnumLeaf

Closeup of flowers in early summer.
Virburnum1


Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
ArrowwoodTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Arrowwood

Arrow-wood shrubs are a common sight both in the woods and among landscaping. They grow 6’-10’ tall with multiple stems and thick foliage, ending up fairly round in shape. The inedible flowers appear in the spring and look almost identical to elderberry flow clusters. The long, straight, hardwood suckers were used to make arrows by Native Americans.

The dark blue-purple berries of arrow-wood are sour/sweet tasting but have only a thin layer of edible flesh over a large, inedible seed. They taste best as soon as they ripen, making an excellent nibble while hiking in the early fall. There is record of making jelly from the berries but I have not tried this personally. As the arrow-wood berries age they lose a lot of their flavor, becoming dry and mealy.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

American Beautyberry

Scientific name: Callicarpa americana, Callicarpa japonica
Abundance: Plentiful
What: ripe berries
How: raw, preserves
Where: woods
When: late summer, fall
Nutritional Value: minor amounts of vitamins and carbohydrates
Other uses: Recent studies indicate beauty berry leaves contain several very strong mosquito repellent molecules. Toxicity of these molecules still needs to be determined.
Dangers: Some people have reported stomach upset after eating beauty berries. Limit yourself to small servings until you know how your body will react.

Medicinal Summary:
Root Bark - diuretic; treats dysentery and stomach aches (tisane)
Leaves & Root - sweatbath soothes rheumatism

Leaf Arrangement: The leaves are arranged in an opposite-alternating pattern along the stems.

Leaf Shape: The leaves are typically ovate to elliptic, with a length ranging from 2 to 6 inches and a width of 1.5 to 3 inches.

Leaf Venation: The venation is pinnate.

Leaf Margin: The leaf margin is serrated or toothed.

Leaf Color: The leaves are green.

Flower Structure: The flowers are small, with a diameter of approximately 1/8 inch, and are clustered around leaf/stem junctions.

Flower Color: Callicarpa americana flowers can be pink to purple.

Fruit: The fruit is a drupe, usually glossy and violet to purple, about 1/8 inch in diameter.

Seed: Seeds are small and enclosed within the drupe.

Bark: The bark is usually smooth and brown.

Hairs: Leaves and stems have fine hairs.

Height: Callicarpa americana typically grows to a height of 3 to 8 feet.


American Beautyberry with ripe berries.
beautyberry.jpg

Closeup of the berries. They are almost ripe, just need to darken to a deep purple color.
Beautyberries

Closeup of a beautyberry leaf.
BeautyberryLeaf

Immature berry clusters.
Youngbeautyberry

Japanese beautyberry stay white rather than turn purple. They are edible.
AsianBeautyberry

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
BeautyberryTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Beautyberry

As late summer turns to fall the bright magenta berries of American beautyberry capture the eye. These shrubs average 3’ to 5’ tall and wide but exceptional ones can grow over 8’ tall. They are understory plants found in most wooded areas, especially if moist soil. American beautyberry shrubs lose their leaves in the winter but the clusters of dried berries often remain on its long, drooping branches. Leaves appear in late spring, often after many other plants. The clusters of purple/pink flowers appear in early summer and quickly become small, white-pink berries.

American beautyberry berries become edible upon reaching full ripeness which usually occurs in late summer to early fall. They should be a dark purple/magenta color but not turning wrinkled and dry. These berries can be eaten raw and have a mild, slight medicinal flavor. To truly maximize the potential of these berries it is best to make jelly out of them. Combine 1.5 qts of berries with 1 qt. water, boil for 20 minutes and then strain out the solids. Add 4.5 cups of sugar and one envelope of Sure Jell to the liquid. Bring the liquid back up to boil for two minutes, skimming off any foam. Pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars and seal. If it doesn't set up you'll need to add another 1/4 envelope of Sure Jell or just use it as a fantastic syrup! The resulting jelly has a unique flavor which reminds me of rose petals and champagne.

These berries can also be used to make wine. Being low in sugars it is best to combine American beautyberry fruit with something sweeter such as grapes or bananas, otherwise the resulting wine will be a bit weak and have an uncomplex flavor.

Some people have reported stomach upset after eating beauty berries. Limit yourself to small servings until you know how your body will react

Three different molecules having mosquito repellent properties have been found in the leaves. Testing by the US army shows these compounds are similar to DEET in their ability to repel mosquitoes but human toxicity has not been determined. I recommend rubbing crushed leaves on your clothing rather than directly onto bare skin. Also note, while effective against mosquitoes these three chemicals don't seem to repel wood ticks or chiggers.



Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Elderberry

Scientific name: Sambucus canadensis
Abundance: common
What: flowers, berries
How: the flowers can be eaten raw or fried as fritters, the berries are best when cooked into muffins/pancakes/waffles, made into jam or wine
Where: edges, wet areas
When: summer
Nutritional Value: Vitamin A & C, calcium, iron, sterols, and flavonoids.
Dangers: all other parts of plant (bark, leaves, wood) are poisonous. Berry clusters must be flat, kind of like cauliflower, not rounded like a globe. Compounds in elderberry flowers and berries can disrupt chemotherapy drugs.

Medicinal Summary:
Flowers, Berries - immune system stimulant (syrup, tincture, tisane)

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are opposite, arranged in pairs along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Compound leaves with 5 to 11 leaflets. Each leaflet measures around 2 to 4 inches in length.

Leaf Margin: Leaflet margins are serrated with fine teeth.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically dark green.

Flower Structure: Large, flat-topped clusters of tiny, fragrant, white flowers known as umbels.

Flower Color: Flowers are typically creamy white and bloom in late spring to early summer. The flowers have five petals, with a diameter of the individual flower being 1/4". 

Fruit (Berry-Like): The fruit is a small, dark purple to black berry, around 1/4 to 1/3 inches in diameter growing in umbel-like clusters.

Bark: Young stems are smooth and green, while older stems are gray with small, dark spots. Beneath the bark is a soft, white pith.

Height: American elderberry can grow to be 5 to 12 feet tall.

Hairs: Stems and leaves are generally smooth.

Growth Form: American elderberry has a multi-stemmed, shrub-like growth form.

Stands of elderberry can be 12'-14' tall.
elderberry1.jpg

Elderberry 7-20-2015

Elderberries along a stream bank.
Elderberry

The flowers start out as small, light-green balls then open up into white/cream flowers with five petals.
Elderberry

The flower clusters are shaped kind of like cauliflower in an "umbel" (aka umbrella shape).
Elderberry

Flowers (edible).
elderberryflowers.jpg

Close-up of flowers after harvesting.
ElderberryFlowers

ElderberryFlowers

Dark purple-black fruit (edible dry or cooked, not raw).
Elderberries.jpg

Elderberries

Close-up of compound (multi-leaflets) leaves (topside).
ElderberryLeaves

Close-up of compound leaves (underside).
Elderberry

By the end of summer the leaves can become very complex.
Elderberry

Stem/trunk of Elderberry. The spots where from leaves growing from the stem in previous years.
ElderberryStem

Getting ready to make a batch of Grandpa's "Cure's what ails ya!" (Godzilla movie not required). Directions below.
Elderberry

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
Elderberry

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Elderberry

Stands of elderberry are most common along streams and other moist areas. Standing approximately 10 feet tall with compound leaves and green-to-gray, bumpy bark and white pithy interiors, elderberries are distinctive shrubs or small trees. The cauliflower-shaped clusters of white flowers appear in early spring, flowered by clusters of green and then dark purple berries. The plant will continue to produce flower clusters through the summer and berries into early fall. One has to be quick to gather the berries as birds love them!

The elderberry flowers are a good raw snack, eaten right off the tree. Other popular uses include adding the flowers to muffins, pancakes, frosting and batter-frying them into fritters. They can also be used to flavor assorted non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.

The berries do NOT taste great raw due to the presence of a rather off-putting volatile oil. However, drying or cooking the berries drives off this chemical resulting in a really good flavor. Add the berries raw or dried berries to pancakes, muffins or other batter-style cooked goods. Elderberry jam and jelly is an old-time favorite. Of course, the most popular way to use elderberries is to make wine!

My grandfather used to make great elderberry wine. He also made a general illness preventative/cure medicine called "Cure's what ails ya!" from the flowers by filling a 1 quart canning 1/3 to 1/2 full with fresh elderberry flowers (no stems!) then adding 1 tablespoon of sugar, two shots of Triple Sec orange liquor and filling to jar almost to the top with vodka. The jar was sealed tightly then shook twice a day for 6-8 week. At that point the solids were strained out and the fluid transferred into a tightly capped bottle. I am NOT giving medical advice but two shoots of this was our family treatment when we felt an illness coming on. Western science suggests elderberry flowers and berries contain the immune-system stimulating molecule "Sambucol" which can also be bought over the counter in pharmacies for use in fighting viral infections. Please note that if you are on immune system suppresants, such as after an organ transplant or if you suffer from an auto-immune disease, you should avoid consuming elderberry products.

There are two plants people often mistake for elderberry, Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) and Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum). Chinese Privet is slightly toxic and has simple rather than compound leaves though they are all lined up so as to look a little like the compound leaves of elderberry, but smaller and not pointed at the end. Chinese Privet fruit appears in the fall/winter in grape-like clusters of dark, purple, somewhat football-shaped berries instead of the umbels of elderberry berry clusters.

These are Pokeweed berries which are deadly. Note that they grow in a column rather than an umbrella-shape.
PokeweedBerries

Chinese Privet berries and leaves. This plant is commonly mistaken for Elderberry but it is POISONOUS.
Privet

Chinese Privet

Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) produce umbel-shaped clusters of small, white flowers that look just like elderberry flowers but as with the Chinese Privet, Arrowwood leaves reveal its true identity. Arrows leaves are simple, oppositely-opposed along its branches and have toothed edges. After the flowers pass umbel-shaped clusters of grayish-purple, football-shaped berries ending in little dried flower bits appear. These fruit are edible but tasteless.

Arrowwood flowers (edibility unknown...so don't eat them).
Viburnum dentata

Arrowwood leaves (not edible).
Viburnum dentata

Arrowwood berries (edible but tasteless).
Viburnum dentata


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Farkleberry

Scientific Name(s): Vaccinium arboreum
Abundance: uncommon
What: berries
How: raw, cooked, jam/jelly, maybe wine
Where: woods
When: fall, winter
Nutritional Value: antioxidants, some carbohydrates
Dangers: none, but do not mistake for toxic Chinese privet.

Leaf Arrangement: Leaves are alternate along the stem.

Leaf Shape: Simple, elliptical leaves with entire or slightly dentate margins, typically measuring 2 to 4 inches in length.

Leaf Color: Foliage is typically green, but it can turn reddish in the fall.

Flower Structure: Small, bell-shaped, white to pinkish flowers arranged in racemes.

Flower Size: Individual flowers are around 0.2 to 0.3 inches long.

Fruit (Berry): The fruit is a berry, typically dark purple to black when ripe, measuring around 0.2 to 0.4 inches in diameter. Grow individually.

Bark: Bark is a rusty-reddish color with a brick-like pattern. 

Height: Farkleberry can grow to be a large shrub or a small tree, reaching heights of 10 to 30 feet.

Hairs: Stems and leaves are generally smooth.

Branching Pattern: The branching pattern is irregular, and the plant may have a somewhat open form.

Growth Form: Farkleberry can have a multi-stemmed or single-trunked growth form.

Ripe farkleberries. They remain edible even when shriveled into raisin-like appearance.
Farkleberry7

Close-up of farkleberries.
Farkleberry2

Dried farkleberries.
Farkleberry3

Smashed fruit. Farkleberries have very small seeds compared to many other viburnum fruit.
Farkleberry4

Close-up of Farkleberry flowers.
Farkleberry

Unripe farkleberries (late August, Big Thicket State Park).
Farkleberry

Farkleberry leaves. Note the alternating opposite arrangement. The leaves turn red in the winter and usually drop off though many leaves will still be attached when new leaves are budding.
FarkleberryLeaves1

Farkleberry1

Farkleberry trunk. Note the "brick-like" pattern of the bark.
FarkleberryTrunk

Farkleberry5

Young farkleberry branches have a reddish color but lack the brick-like bark pattern.
Farkleberry6

Texas distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture. The marked counties are guidelines only. Plants may appear in other counties, especially if used in landscaping.
FarkleberryTX

North American distribution, attributed to U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Farkleberry

Filling the spaces between bigger trees in gulf coast and east Texas woods, the small, understory Farkleberry trees play a vital role in keeping woodland creatures fed...including foragers! Their distinctive bark, looking like orange/brown brickwork makes it an easy plant to identify even when neither flowers or fruit are present. Novice foragers often mistake the Farkleberry for Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) based on their similar leaves. While both grow their leaves in a zig-zag pattern, the edges of Farkleberry leaves are smooth while Yaupon holly leaf edges are bumpy. Another close relative, Rusty Blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum), has similar bark and leaves but football-shaped fruit containing one big seed.

Farkleberries are ripe when black which happens in the fall and will remain on the tree and edible well into winter even when somewhat dried and wrinkled. They make a sweet snack, though somewhat small and seedy.


Buy my book! Outdoor Adventure Guides Foraging covers 70 of North America's tastiest and easy to find wild edibles shown with the same big pictures as here on the Foraging Texas website.

Privacy & Amazon Paid Promotion Statement

I use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit this website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.


I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The prices you pay for the item isn't affected, my sales commission comes out of Amazon's pocket.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.