What are these, and are they edible?

M

MSCantrell

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Mar 12, 2005
Messages
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These berries are TREMENDOUSLY abundant around this area of Michigan. I've hunted the internet all afternoon to figure out what they are, and I'm stumped.

Anybody know the answer?

MIke
 
I was hoping, but I don't think so.
Chookecherry leaves have toothed edges, and I think the fruits have justa single stone in them. These guys have 3-5 small seeds inside.

When you squish one between your fingers, it looks just like a tomato. Kinda watery and slimy and several light-colored seeds.
 
It looks like yaupon to me and if it is no they are not edible it is from the holly plant. If it is youpon it says in one of my books that it was used by the indians for purifcation rights.

I may be wrong though.

Bryan
 
Looks like Honeysuckle to me (Lonicera spp.) Not sure of the species.

Doc

Edited to add: some (Lonicera) are edible, others are bitter and inedible. Actually in many honeysuckles, the fruits are toxic. ( source - The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America, François Couplan, Keats, 1998, ISBN# 0-87983-821-3, page 401)

I've never tried them. The species posted may be L. canadensis, which is not on the 'edible' list.

Doc
 
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Doc you are probably right. I am going into town thursday and I will look at the park there they have some of the yaupon or at least i think it is LOL and I will take a pic of it.
I was looking up the honey suckle in my book and it sure looks like that over the yaupon.

Bryan
 
sicily02 said:
Doc you are probably right. I am going into town thursday and I will look at the park there they have some of the yaupon or at least i think it is LOL and I will take a pic of it.
I was looking up the honey suckle in my book and it sure looks like that over the yaupon.

Bryan
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Hey Bryan,

I had to Google Yaupon as we do not have it up here (range map - http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=Ilex+vomitoria&mode=sciname&submit.x=10&submit.y=7. ) Honeysuckle has opposite leaves with toothless (entire) margins, which seem to agree with the posted pictures, whereas Yaupon (according to USDA), "are alternate, elliptical or oval with shallow teeth at the margins" (source - http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/doc/cs_ilvo.doc

Doc
 
The berries look very similar but the leaves do not appear to be correct for yaupon holly. It's all over the place down here; I even have a few dwarf forms as bonsai stock.
 
Thanks, Doc!
The honeysuckle family is a direction I hadn't looked yet.

Looking at this page, I don't think it's L. canadensis. http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/loniceracana.html
And I flipped through the links for "next in the honeysuckle family", but none of them looked right either.

I think what I should do is grab a couple other specimens from the bushes around the area, so I know I'm not just dealing with a funny-looking one.
 
Tatarian Honeysuckle is not edible, and along with Common Buckthorn and Garlic Mustard is one of the scourges of deciduous forests. It is a terrible invader, displacing native flora, and tough to eradicate.
 
Apparently, with Tatarian Honeysuckle (L. tatarica), the berries are partially united at the base. Is that the case with your plant? Can't be sure from the pictures. Here's what I'm talking about.

BTW, welcome to BladeForums, Wilderness & Survival Skills, Barlowkid.

Doc
 
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DOC-CANADA said:
Apparently, with Tatarian Honeysuckle (L. tatarica), the berries are partially united at the base. Is that the case with your plant? Can't be sure from the pictures. Doc
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It sure is! I thought it was just an aberration with this particular bush, but apparently it's a distinguishing feature. Good to know!
 
We had these things growing all around when I was a kid in CT, USA. I looked it up one time and the book said "American Honeysuckle". I don't believe the berries are edible but they are fairly soft and rupture easily on impact. That made for many happy (messy) hours worth of berry fights with my friends. I'm guessing that the stains came out fairly easily because I don't remember getting any grief from my mom over them.
 
Mike , I have one of those bushes and everyone always called it Honeysuckle .I never heard anyone eating the berries but cedar waxwings love them ! I've seen a small group of waxwings clean out a bush in a day or two !!
 
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