There are still quite a few berries around. Here are 3 we came across on today’s nature walk with naturalist Miles Hearn, at Ashbridges Bay on the east side Toronto.
These beautiful orange berries are Sea Buckthorn. They are edible and some people use them in baking or for jams. I tried one today. It was tart but not unpleasant. I’ve never seen anybody picking these – they are not uncommon in our parks.
There are also lots of Highbush Cranberry bushes around. I read that there are multiple species of Highbush Cranberry – one of them produces palatable berries. These are part of the Viburnum family and are not related to true cranberries.
Some berries can be inedible or poisonous so make sure of your identification before eating anything you pick. One kind of berry to avoid is the Common Buckthorn. It is not for nothing it is called Rhamnus cathartica,
as it will provide a cathartic experience if you eat the berries.
