The Forestry Forum

Hi everyone,

I'm a fan of planting trees and shrubs that are both nice additions to the landscape, but that also have something I can eat on them, especially if they're a bit unique.  I'm thinking about planting a serviceberry, or juneberry tree, and I'm wondering if any of you have ever eaten those berries, or had jam from them?  I just ordered some from online, plus a jam that was a chokecherry/apple jelly to try.  I'm thinking about planting some elderberry bushes as well.  In the front, I planted a viburnum bush last year, and apparently these are often referred to as highbush cranberries, and you can make jam with them too.  One of the websites though said that jam from this bush often smells like dirty socks!   ::)  I guess if you put a lemon wedge in with it, it will take care of the odor.  Anyone ever tried anything from a viburnum bush?  Also, I read somewhere that barberry bushes have an edible berry that some people will mix with other fruits to make a jam.  Anyone know anything about that?

Any other ideas of interesting, unique, fruiting trees or shrubs that have fruit you can use, but will never find in a Smucker's jar?  I think it's pretty DanG fun to try all kinds of different types of native fruits to see what the good Lord provided us with!   8)

Here are a couple of links I found online:

brandeis.edu (http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio/bersbach/EdiblePlants/browse_by_uses/jams_and_jellies.html)
doorbell.net (http://www.doorbell.net/lukes/a070502.htm)

I think I heard how you could make jelly out of kudzu.  Don't really know if it's true or not but I don't see no reason why you couldn't plant a few kudzu vines and in a years time have enough vines to make enough jelly to feed the whole dang world. :)

Uh, If ya ain't got no kudzu where you live, I absolutely would not recomend planting any. :)

I think my dad out in Georgia mentioned something about Kudzu jelly.  Probably anything that want kill ya, you ad enough sugar and wa-lah, jelly.  Have you thought about muscadine? It can probably be found commercially, but ,if you prune it right, like you would a wisteria.  You can make a really nice bush/tree.

I learned never to wear white when working under the mulberry tree.   smiley_roller

Juneberry jam was one of our staples back in the days of tipi-dwelling and log cabins deep in the woods.  We would flag the trees in the timber early on as soon as they blossomed (a cute, white flower)--a neat story behind the name "service" berry, too--so's we'd find the trees easier after the foliage hit.  It takes an awful lot of the berries to make a pint of jam.  Just rinse the berries, mush them, and work up the jam.  Leave those little seeds in.  It's the best tasting jam on the planet.  The birds will eat you out if you don't  pick them quickly when ready, tho.  We liked to let them get as purple as possible as they were the sweetest then.  You'll probably get much more from the domesticated tree/bush than we got from those that grew in the wild.  Enjoy.  Hope you get a pantry full!  We still eat our fill whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Hey...thanks for the replies already guys!  Gunny, I'm glad to hear about your experience with Serviceberries--"best jam on the planet!"  Well, I think I will plant one now, and it sounds like they have nice blossoms too.  But you say there's a cool story about how they got their name.  I'm really curious now...could you educate us a little bit?   :P

Roxie--
Do  you like the flavor of mullberries?  I may have to see if I can find some mulberry jam or jelly on line to try that stuff out.

Paschale:

We were told by an old fellow in the area that the reason the Juneberry tree got the nickname "Serviceberry" was because they were one of the earliest blossoming "shrubs" of the region and that their flowers were very often those plucked to beautify the burial services of those who'd passed away the previous winter and whose burials had to be delayed until the frost was out of the ground to allow for the digging of their graves.  My guess is that this all transpired eons before the advent of floral shops.  It made sense back then and, within the context of the era considered, still seems to make sense even now.  I'd bet folks even garnished the bouquets with Pussy Willow and Dogwood and maybe even some Cherry blossoms?

I think I'll go check my own trees for sprouts!

When I was little we used to  go gooseberry hunting in the woods. Most pies are made with green ones but if left on the bush to rippen to a purple color they make an excellent jam. They are a hardy bush and will grow in shady places.

We were out mushroom hunting and saw many bushes of them yesterday. Going to make it a point to make up a small batch for Patty and I this summer.

We had mulberry trees where I grew up, one white and one black. Used to eat the fruit off the trees but that was 30 years ago and I don't remember the taste now but I'm sure it would make good jam. As designated lawn mower, I do remember them being messy trees!

Crabapple jelly is really nice.  You don't even need to add much pectin when you put it in jars.  The trees have wonderful blossoms in the spring.

Another unusual fruit would be the Quince.  We have freinds in Germany that make quince jelly and I think it is really delicious.  Not sure if you can grow them in your area, but these grow in northern Germany (about as far north as Hudson Bay in Canada, but moderated by the ocean).

Another great jelly and/or fruit off the tree would be Ranier Cherry.  I think they can be grown in the mid-west.  We are often in Washington state in the summer and try to purchase 40-50 pounds of Ranier cherries. They are very large, yellow, and make the bing cherry taste like a tart pie cherry.  Of course you would need at least 2 of them for pollination (perhaps even a bing cherry for cross pollination).  Sorry, I'm not up on the botany enough to give you details on the Ranier  Cherry.

How about blueberries?  My grandfather planted several bushed in his yard after a horticulturist told him they wouldn't grow.  He made a blueberry pie every year and took it to the fellow along with a big smile.

Have to get outside and work today.  I'll try to give "exotic" fruits more thought and maybe come up with something else.

Good luck.

Thanks for all the input, guys.

As to Crabapple jelly--I suppose you really need to load up on the sugar, right?  I have an old, decrepit crabapple tree in the backyard that hardly blossoms anymore, and really doesn't produce any fruit to speak of, and I'm thinking of cutting it down this summer.  Maybe I'll see if it does fruit any, and try to make some jelly with it.

I did try to grow blueberries.  I amended the soil, and put some sand in with it, but they're pretty much dead.  Last summer, I honestly got only one blueberry.   ::)  It was tasty though!   ;)

I'd forgotten about Quince.  I know you can grow it here in the midwest, since I've seen it at the nursery.  Do you remember the taste of the Quince by chance?

Also, does anyone know if you always need two of a certain species to get successful pollination?  Hmm...I know with apples and pears you don't always need that, but how can one tell?

I'll have to look into the Ranier Cherries too, though I really like the idea of planting something you can't get at the local farm market.  We are pretty fortunate in Michigan.  There are a lot of great apple orchards here in West Michigan, including some that specialize in heirloom apples, and that probably at least one hundred different species.  Blueberries do very well, particularly close to the Lake, due to the sandy soil, and I suppose the cool evening temperatures.  Up north, near Traverse City we have a great Cherry crop.  All the usual berries do very well in Michigan as well.  I have a wild raspberry patch in my back yard that I transplanted from my folks' place that is doing better and better every year--maybe too good!  I think I need to put some plexiglass in the soil to box in the roots a bit better, or it'll take over the area.

Up in the U.P., we have thimbleberries, which are a close cousin of the raspberry, but really quite more complex.  They're delicious, and apparently you really have to have the right environment for those to grow.  They need cool nights.  I have a friend who transplanted them down here in lower Michigan.  They blossomed, but didn't fruit at all, apparently because it's too warm.  The U.P. of Michigan is one of the few places they'll grow, apparently.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions!  I might try to order some Quince and crabapple jelly from some online places now too.  I'm getting ready for planting some trees and shrubs around the place, and before planting some of these, I wanna know better what the end result will be.

I'm pretty sure I'll plant some elderberry.  A friend had some elderberry jam that his mother made for him, and that was amazing!

What about currants? Anyone know about those?

Oh, and Norm...how'd the mushroom hunting turn out for you?  Find any morels?

I found  some  links  to  some  other  unique  jams  and  jellies,  and  finally  figured  out how to do the hyperlinks, which somebody already changed for me in my first post. ;)


Chokecherry Jam (http://www.mainegoodies.com/food/jam-jelly/Mainesown/chokecherry.htm)

QuinceJam (http://www.mainegoodies.com/food/jam-jelly/quince/index.htm)

Wild Crabapple Jelly (http://shop.store.yahoo.com/chefshop/wilcrabjel.html)

I might try making this next year.  They apparently just simply boil down seven gallons of apple cider to one gallon, and then put it in a jar and call it apple cider jelly.

Apple Cider Jelly (http://www.zingermans.com/Product.pasp?Category=&ProductID=P%2DCID)

This is a kind of fun page with all kinds of different jellies, including gooseberry, and one with Ranier cherries.

Tons-O-Jam (http://shop.store.yahoo.com/chefshop/preserves1.html)

OK...

I've wasted enough time!  It's time to get outside and enjoy this nice weather!

Pepinos are great, they are related to spuds and tomatos so should grow anywhere you grow spuds or tomatos.

Cape gooseberries are nice also, they are in a very light shell like a chinese lantern.  I don't know what sort of jam they would make as I never manage to get up to the house with them :D :D :D

Ernie

I didn't find one morel Paschale, people on the radio were raving about how they were bringing home bags of em. On the other hand there were so many beautiful delicate flowers that only appear for a short time in the spring I didn't mind. Any day that I can walk in the woods without bugs eating me alive is a bonus. :)

one year when making crabapple jam mom forgot to put the pectin in and we wound up with crabapple syrup wondurful stuff after that thats all she made ;) ;)

Mulberry's are delicious.  I treat them the same way I would raspberry's or blueberry's.....make jam, put in cereal, eat in a bowl with some ice cream.  I've noticed a few things interesting about the mulberry tree (besides the fact that it stains clothing).  It doesn't attract insects or bee's like an apple tree does....and I have no idea why that would be true.  I also noticed that the fruit is available almost all summer long.  It isn't just one harvest and it's gone.   :) 

Paschale I am going to ask my ma tomorrow and report back , she has made jelly out of everything . Chokecherry always been my favorite since I was old enough to pick .

I aint got a green thumb ... but I do know that you need to have two different types of blueberry plants to get any fruits from them .... and that they need an acid soil to grow in ....
Blueberry pie is my favorite ... by far ...  that with homenmade ice cream ....  with a touch of mapple syrup ..

marcel now quit that  :D i've got a craving for homemade blueberry pie know and alls i got here is homemade bannana pudding.  ;D

I think it was the "Prairie Farm Report" on RFDTV that had a segment on Saskatoon Berries.  A google search turns up quite a few sites for them.  They are used for jams, jellies, pies etc.  I wondered how they'd do here in Michigan.  If they thrive in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Michigan just might be too tropical ;)

tnlogger, wouldn't want you to have to eat that nasty bannana pudding, so to help out a fellow FF member, just ship it up the road a ways and I will dispose of it properly for ya. ;D

Are Saskatoons the same thing as Serviceberry or Juneberry?  I've heard the phrase "Saskatoon Serviceberry" before...I guess I need to do more research! :P

My MIL has a quince tree in her yard and they wife makes quince jam every year, the one thing I can tel you about a quince is, under no circumstances eat it raw, it is the most fowl nasty thing I have ever bitten into  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

Ah, a topic dear to my heart.  I've started an edible native woody plant garden along my back fence.  So far no eats, though  :-[ But most is only 2 years old or so.  Serviceberries are delicious, no question.  I've also got (for some other ideas for ya?) a few different currant and gooseberry varieties, blackberries, raspberries, blueberry (new this year - apparently I need another??), hazelnuts, American plum, Canadian plum, and a  couple of pawpaws.  If you are looking for unique, you must go with the pawpaw.  You may find the taste a bit disagreeable at first, but you will find yourself longing for it before long.  besides, it's just so wierd, you ought to have  a few of them. 

I hope to get some wild strawberries, thimbleberry, bunchberry, and some other ground layer stuff going soon.

A really cool book that you may be interested in is Edible Wild Plants, by Elias and Dykeman.   

I vote for paw paw ........delicious, and Persimons....candy..unless eaten green >:( :D :D

From what I found in a few references here, Blueberries have perfect flowers, (usually) meaning they can pollinate themselves, unless there is some physiologic mechanism to prevent them from doing so.  Anyone got any further insight on this?  I know Pawpaws definately require 2 or more plants to produce.  Maybe blueberry is similar?

Andy,

Glad to hear that you're passionate about this too!  It's pretty fun growing your own fruit, though I don't have tons of experience--or success!  My raspberries are doing well, but the blueberries are doing poorly.  I'll probably rip them up in favor of somethng easier to grow.  I have two different cultivars, and tried to amend the soil, but they look hideous.

Thanks for the recommendation on the book--I'll keep an eye out for that.  A book I just picked up recently I'm finding to be really quite helpful.  It's called Fruits and Berries for the Home Garden (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0882667637/qid=1113946887/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-0594892-6532824?v=glance&s=books/)

He's got info on tons of different berries, and a wealth of information.  One particularly useful nugget is regarding the incompatibility of gooseberries and white pine trees.   :P  Apparently gooseberries are carriers of diseases that can afflict pine trees, yet do no harm to the berry plant.  White pines can become infected with blister rust, due to having gooseberries nearby.  Some states outlaw them in certain localities.  This was good to learn, since I have some terrific white pines in my backyard, and was considering planting gooseberries!

What part of the country do you live in, Andy?  Wondering if you'll be one of the fortunate ones to have thimbleberries!

I'm beginning to think more traditional too.  I like the idea of trying some espalier shaping of some apple trees, as well as grafting different varieties on one plant.  The problem I have is simply that I don't have a lot of room on my city lot--otherwise, I'd plant an orchard!

Anyone have any experience with grafting, or espaliering fruit trees?

Are Saskatoons and June Berries the same ???  I haven't had chance to check just wondering if anyone else has

Quote from: Corley5 on April 19, 2005, 06:02:01 PM
Are Saskatoons and June Berries the same ???  I haven't had chance to check just wondering if anyone else has

According to my book, Saskatoons are different than the Juneberries.  To get all latin on the subject,  :P, I guess Saskatoons are Amelanchier alnifolia.  They're bushes, whereas the Serviceberry/Juneberry are trees.  Hmm...wait a minute.  While I'm doing this research, it sounds like they're pretty close cousins.  So my book says that Saskatoons are a "relative of the wild shadbush."  Then on a  gardening website, I found this, talking about the Serviceberry tree, Amelanchier canadensis: 

"The Serviceberry tree, Amelanchier canadensis, may also be known as a Juneberry, Shadblow, or Shadbush. This large shrub has erect stems that form multi-stemmed clumps The serviceberries, genus Amelanchier, are deciduous shrubs or small trees that grow in the understory of temperate forests."

They must be pretty closely related--I forget my eighth grade science, but does this mean that the two are the same genus (Amelanchier), but different species?  I forget all that stuff... ::)

The mystery continues... ???

Well it sounds like some questions been answered but I give ya the grammas canning synopsis as I asked her all about jams and such.  Juneberries make excellent jam, Elderberries excellent jam,Highbush excellent jam, Crabapple excellent jam too .  Also I planted the saskatoon blueberry 3 years ago and got 2 berries off of it last year but I think it has been developing roots and this year it should climb right up the side of the corn crib I hope . It looks hardy but I planted it on the northwest side of the crib and it should have been more in the sun but its growing . I just tried highbush cranberry jelly and it is the best of the best. Hopefully this year my strawberry patch will explode ,its the jumbos like baseball size .  My 2nd year with a asparagus trench so hopefully it will look like the guerneys picture . well maybe !  :D

Ever heard of a Medlar? (http://www.southmeadowfruitgardens.com/FeaturedFruitTrees.html)

Nope that one I never heard of .   :P

Hey Buck,

Thanks for gettin' the skinny from granny! ;)  I appreciate it.  I think I'm going to look into the Highbush Cranberry too.  I think I'm going to go visit this heirloom apple tree supplier on Thursday, and see what they've got available.

I think you should look at Buzz post again, and try persimmon. they are fantastic! Now I think everyone should try to eat at least one green though.....makes your mouth draw up till you can't get a drinking straw in it.....

Doc

Doc,

Is this experience speaking? :D :D :D :D :D

Bruce/subsailor

 Doc I gots suckered into that one once didn't think i'd ever get over the ether.

Unfortunately, persimmons don't grow this far north. :-\

Buzz mentioned pawpaws too--they just might be OK where I live, since they say they'll make it in southern Michigan, but I might be just a little too far north.  What do pawpaws taste like?  :P

Hey Paschale,

To answer your earlier question, I'm in Ypsilanti, so not too far from ya.  I would think pawpaws could grow in GR.  Heck you have a town named Pawpaw just a little south of you. 

I haven't really looked into growing thimbleberries here yet - never actually thought about them until you mentioned it.  I am quite familiar with them, as I went to school in Houghton, and spent a lot of time in the UP Forests.   I've got the same prob as you, though - small city lot.

As for White Pine Blister Rust, there aren't many WP's in my neighborhood, and the current thought is that the fungus can pretty easily move upto 300 m between Ribes and Pines.  You step into any woodlot around me and you'll see lots of Ribes, so I guess I'm not so concerned with being the sole cause of an outbreak.

Paschale I believe you are mistaken about persimmons growing in your neck of the woods. I have several growing in my yard that I got from a nursery in Michigan called Oikos Tree Crops. They are only about three years old but they had a few fruit on them last fall for the first time. I left them on waiting for them to freeze and they vanished before I got to try one. Oikos has all kinds of strange fruiting plants. If I were you I would give them a try. I have two Paw Paw trees that are doing real well. I got them from Oikos also.

I have also heard about not mixing white pines and gooseberries but have had no problem with mine. I have had gooseberries for at least twenty years and my yard is full of large white pines. I have an almond tree, chineeze chestnuts, eldeberries, hazlenuts and a couple of pecan trees also.

Also I have a small serviceberry tree, black cherry trees and a clump of high bush cranberry.

Here's a website you might like to take a look at: Littleflowers medicine plants

Sorry, I don't know how to make it into a hyperlink. They have neat info on just about any plant you can name.

I am really looking forward to finding blueberries, cranberries and gooseberries on my new woodlot :)

Quote from: Sprucegum on April 20, 2005, 09:01:12 PM
Here's a website you might like to take a look at: Littleflowers medicine plants

Thanks for the suggestion.  When in doubt about hyperlinks, I just cut and paste the whole address into the document.   :)

I did a web search though, and came up with this--are either of these places what you were thinking of?  Regardless, they both look really helpful!

Littleflowers medicine plants1 (http://www.littleflowers.biz/medicinal_plants)

Littleflowers medicine plants2 (http://www.geocities.com/littleflowers_medicinal_plants/high_bush_cranberry.html)

Yes that's the place

Paschale
To answer ya.paw paws are like a cross between a bannana and a pear.utter joy to eat, particular after hicking or hunting for miles...persimons are pure sugar and flavor....they grow in groves like weeds.....but BOTH plants need to pass through the intestines of mammals ie coons possums etc....or can be artificial abraded to get them to grow. :)

That littleflower's medicine plast has a cool "soundtrack."  Right now, it's open in a different window, and it sounds like I'm in the woods.   8)

Hey Buzz...I'm a mammal.   :D :D

 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
:D :D :D
apparently you have never seen a pawpawpseed....huge!

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

I guess I'll leave it to the possums then!   :o

No paw-paw's for me! ;)

And where the heck did they get that DanG name anyway?

Was runniing the daughter to softball practice last night and noticed the incredible abundance of juneberries in full bloom.  This might be a banner year--if this weekend's snow storm doesn't wipe them all out!  Just run down any area back road and you'll see the brilliance of pure-white petals everywhere!  Our picking spots are located for the end of June!

Hope you get enough for the jam.