Berry bushes are not only found in the home garden. There are also many wild shrubs that bear berry fruits. The color of the berries can be used to identify the species.

In a nutshell

  • Be careful with wild bushes, not all berries are edible
  • Berry bushes are the habitat of many animals, especially birds
  • Cultivated shrubs cannot always be clearly assigned to a colour

White berries

White-berry mistletoe (Visum album) - poisonous

Source: H. Zell, Viscum album 002, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Mistletoe disappears in the foliage of their host trees in summer, but in autumn, when the trees begin to become bare, the small or larger round, green balls in the branches are particularly noticeable. They are semi-parasites that tap into the pathways of trees. Mistletoe is a subshrub that never touches the ground. They flower in March and bear fruit in winter. Mistletoe is a popular Christmas decoration. Mistletoe cannot be planted in the garden. However, apple trees can also be host trees for mistletoe. Three subspecies of white-berry mistletoe are native to Europe:

  • Deciduous mistletoe
  • fir mistletoe
  • pine mistletoe

Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) - poisonous

The snowberry is native to North America. In Europe it was introduced as an ornamental shrub and is now more and more common as a wild shrub in nature. Typical are the white fruits, which also gave the plant the name firecracker. In a sunny location, the firecracker flowers from June to September. The fruits ripen between July and October.

Currant (Ribes) - edible

Currants are one of the most popular berry bushes in the garden. There are many different varieties that also have different berry colors. In addition to red-fruited varieties, there are black and white currants. Currant bushes can become wild and can then be found in the wild, for example at the edges of forests or in hedges. They are easy to distinguish from other berry bushes based on the shape of the leaves and the typical panicles of berries. Planting time in the garden is in autumn or spring. The flowering time is in April or May, the fruits ripen in summer and taste the most aromatic in full sun.

Yellow or orange berries

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) - edible

The sea buckthorn is particularly noticeable due to the many orange-red berries. Only the female shrubs bear fruit, but they need a male shrub nearby for pollination. Therefore, several shrubs should always be planted together. Sea buckthorn is also often used in hedges as it is a valuable tree for birds and other animals. The harvest is difficult due to the many thorns, you should wear gloves. The fruits contain a lot of vitamin C.

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) - edible

soft fruit

Raspberries are grown in the garden. They grow on a trellis and flower and bear fruit on annual shoots that are attached to wires. The red fruits are extremely aromatic and the berries are mostly easy to care for. When it is dry, it needs watering, a mulch cover protects the flat roots from drying out and adding compost in spring also ensures the supply of nutrients. In addition to red-fruited varieties, there are also yellow raspberries. Planting time is in autumn or spring, the location should be as sunny as possible.

Notice: Yellow-fruited varieties are said to be less susceptible to fruit pests.

Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) - edible

The gooseberry is also one of the crops that are often grown in the garden. Depending on the variety, the fruits are white, red or green. An important feature of the gooseberry are the spines that give it its name.

Care instructions:

  • sunny location
  • nutrient-rich soil
  • mulch
  • fertilize in spring
  • water when dry
  • cut out regularly

Firethorn (Pyracantha) - poisonous

The firethorn is not native to Germany, but is often planted as an ornamental tree in the garden because it is evergreen and the fruits ripen in an attractive color, ranging from yellow to orange to red. In addition, the firethorn is considered a good bird protection tree. Its long thorns protect bird nests from predators and the fruits are part of the birds' food in winter. The bushes grow up to 6 m high.

Red berries

Common wolfberry (Lycium barbarum, also goji berry) - edible

The native boxthorn used to be considered poisonous, it belongs to the nightshade family, as can be seen from the purple flowers. It is now known that the fruit is not only edible but also very healthy. Especially at organic nurseries you can get goji berry plants for the garden. A root barrier should be used at planting time, otherwise the wolfberry tends to proliferate and crowd out other plants.

Honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium, also real honeysuckle, fragrant honeysuckle or Jelängerjelieber) - not edible

Source: Pipi69e, Lonicera caprifolium fruits, Edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0

Honeysuckle is not a native shrub, but is often found growing wild in shrubs and can therefore lead to confusion. In fact, honeysuckles belong to the lianas and are climbing plants that like to use other plants, trees, hedges or free-standing shrubs as climbing aids. Not only do the colorful, fragrant flowers then appear in the foliage of the other plant, but also the small, red fruits, which should not be eaten, their toxicity is unclear.

Notice: Honeysuckles are also suitable as ground cover without a climbing aid.

Large-fruited cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon, also cranberry) - edible

The cranberry is mainly known by its English name and does not look like a native plant. In fact, it is a naturalized evergreen dwarf shrub that belongs to the heather family and grows in bogs. The name cranberry derives from the flowers of the plant, whose stamens resemble a crane's beak.

Common barberry (Berberis vulgaris, also known as sour thorn, vinegar berry) - poisonous

The barberry grows up to 3 m high and is summer green. The yellow flowers appear from May to June. The red berry is the only part of the plant that is not poisonous. However, due to the high acid content, the fruits are hardly eaten, they serve as food for birds. Since the plant is an intermediate host of grain rust, it was almost eradicated. Today it is far less common in nature than it used to be.

Blue or purple berries

Blackthorn (Prunus espinosa, also blackthorn, sour plum) - edible

The sloe is a wild shrub that likes to spread in hedges and bird shelters. In the garden, it absolutely needs a root barrier at planting time to keep the subterranean foothills in check. The bushes are full of spines that make harvesting difficult. The blue fruits are especially edible after the first frost. Before that, they contain too many tannins. Sloes should be boiled.

Bilberry (Vaccinium, also blueberry) - edible

The wild blueberry bushes native to our forests are not the same as the cultivated blueberry that is grown in the garden. This comes from North America. The main difference is seen in the purple or blue fruits. The cultivated blueberry has light-colored flesh, while the flesh of the wild variety is dark in colour. It occurs mainly in sparse forests. The wild species is considered more aromatic. The best time to plant blueberries is in autumn.

Notice: Wild blueberries should mon wash before consumption to minimize the risk of fox tapeworm.

Black berries

Chokeberry (aronia) - edible

These shrubs are originally from North America. Its fruits are considered a superfood, but are hardly edible raw because they taste very sour and tart. They are better suited for processing, such as jam or juice. The Aronia is a very attractive tree. In spring it shines with white flowers, in summer the fruits turn black and in autumn the foliage turns bright red.

Black elder (Sambucus nigra) - edible

All parts of the black elder plant are considered poisonous, except for the fully ripe, black fruit, which must be boiled before consumption. The white, fragrant flowers can also be used in the kitchen, and syrup can be made from them. The black elder is an upright shrub, several meters high, which is very conspicuous due to the white flowers in spring and the black color of the fruits in summer/autumn. Elderberry in the forest can be affected by a fungus called Judas Ear, which is edible by the way.

Privet (Ligustrum, also Rainweiden) - poisonous

Source: AnRo0002, 20141101 Ligustrum vulgare1, Edited by Plantopedia, CC0 1.0

This popular hedge plant produces clusters of black berries that provide food for birds. Privet grows several meters high as a wild plant, in the garden the actual height depends on the pruning measures. The flower color is white. In addition to the wild privet, there are several cultivated varieties that can be planted in the garden for different purposes. Since privet belongs to the olive tree family, it is very drought tolerant.

Common bird cherry (Prunus padus, also Aelkirsche, marsh cherry, Elsenkirsche) - edible

Source: Anneli Salo, Prunus padus - Tuomi - Marjoja H9256 C, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Bird cherry normally grows as a tree, but can also appear as a shrub up to 10 m high. The black fruits give it its name because they are arranged like grapes. The white flowers open in April or May. The bird cherry is attacked by the spider moth, which lays its larvae in the plant and can eat the tree or bush completely bare, but this does not damage the vitality of the plant, it will sprout again after a while.

Dogwood (Cornus, also Hornstrauch) - non-toxic, but inedible raw

Source: AnRo0002, 20130921Cornus sanguinea, Edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0

The dogwood species include the cornel, a tree with edible, red fruits. In addition, the red dogwood is common in Germany. Special features are the red shoots and the bright red autumn leaves. The flowering period extends from May to June. The shrubs often bloom a second time in late summer, when the fruit is already beginning to ripen. Fully ripe fruits can be processed into jam.

Blackberry (Rubus, also dewberry) - edible

The blackberry is not only found in gardens as a cultivated plant, it also grows wild in the forest or in hedges, where it tends to proliferate quickly and can form impenetrable undergrowth because of the thorns. However, these serve as a safe shelter for birds. For the garden, there are cultivars (also with yellow fruits) that are thornless and make harvesting easier.

Care instructions:

  • as full sun as possible
  • nutrient-rich, well-drained soil
  • climbing aid
  • spring fertilization
  • Mulching protects against dehydration
  • Cutting back harvested canes

frequently asked Questions

Is it easy to collect fruits from wild bushes?

If the shrubs are reliably identified, berries can be collected from wild shrubs in small quantities, similar to mushroom picking. However, this only applies to public places, if the land on which the shrub grows has an owner, the owner must be asked for permission.

Can edible berries be eaten raw?

This is not advisable for various reasons. On the one hand, edible berries are sometimes poisonous or inedible when raw. In addition, low berries can be a source of infection with the fox tapeworm. From about waist height, raw edible berries can be collected for immediate consumption.

Are berry bushes demanding?

Wild shrubs are basically very adaptable and also rather undemanding in the garden. Cultivated shrubs, on the other hand, are grateful for more fertilizer and more frequent watering. Pruning should also be done regularly in the interest of yield.

Category:

Garden plants