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Great picture!
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I believe that the pictured berries above are also known as "coffeeberries."
On the Government Canyon field trip today, we saw elderberries, blue & red currants, rose hips (didn't know they had legs, did ya?), and a ton of chokecherries. I'm makin' jam. :))
Pictures will follow.
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We also intially thought it was coffeeberries. Then we received this information from a forum member:
This is bitter cherry, Prunus emarginata.
It is very similar to chokecherry and other "wild plums/cherries". But the fruit on bitter cherry forms in cluster unlike chokecherry which forms in long tassels.
Coffeeberry had a unique leaf in that, when you turn it over, the veins on the bottom are raised and usually yellow. This reminds some of a fish after the flesh is eaten and so, it is called "the fishbone leaf".
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My apologies to Wrightwood and Nolena. I think you are right. It is coffeeberry. The leaves don't look right to me, but the fruit does.
Pictures of coffeeberry leaves
http://www.ecnca.org/Plants/Photo_Pages/Rhamnus_californica.htm
Notice how in the upper picture you can see the raised yellow veins on the back of the leaves
In the lower picture you can see how deeply set the veins are giving the impression of indentations on the shiny dark green leaf
However, in this pix, the fruit looks the same as in Wrightwood's picture
http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0901+0393
Compare to fruit of the bitter cherry here
http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=6246+3041+2848+0042
http://www.life.umd.edu/emeritus/reveal/pbio/slides12/12267b.jpg
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/images/cherry4b.gif
Jane
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[smiley=shuffle.gif]
Thanks Jane for clarifying it 8)
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Thanks for the clarification & all of the cool links. :)
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The following are pictures from a berry identification field trip excellently led by Chesslike in Government Canyon.
chokecherries
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nolena/Chokecherries2.jpg)
more chokecherries
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nolena/chokecherries.jpg)
currants
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nolena/currant1.jpg)
Elderberries in Chesslike's hand
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nolena/elderberries.jpg)
elderberry bush
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nolena/elderberrybush.jpg
)
bear tracks in mud (Mom & cub)
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nolena/bearpaws2.jpg)
white berries - need to identify
(http://www.incidentcontrol.com/nolena/whiteberries.jpg)
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The white berries are snowberry, Symphoricarpos sp.
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How about a rundown on which of the Wrightwood area wild berries are edible?
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Delicious as they are, elderberries apparently are in the same family as poison oak. Those who are sensitive to poison oak, may want to stay away from the bushes. It took me 2 rounds of steroids to get over my reaction to picking them. Eating the jam is OK, however. I just have to get someone else to do the hard part.
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Elderberries are edible, & can be made into jam, pies, & wine. Raw elderberries can slightly bother some people's stomachs. I have no problem with them. There weren't very many of them left in Government Canyon.
Try a higher elevation, like up on Blue Ridge.
Currants are edible raw & are used in baked goods, chutney, salads, jam, juice, jelly, & as glazes. I haven't seen weren't too many of them where I have looked.
Chokecherries are tart raw & have a big pit. The pits & leaves contain hydrocyanic acid, which is removed through boiling. Jam, wine, & syrup can be made from them. There are tons of chokecherries along the dirt road between Highway 2 & Government Canyon, as well as a whole lot right along Highway 2, and they're very easy to pick.
I don't know anything about the snowberry. Are they edible?
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I forgot the wild roses. My picture didn't come out well, so'll I'll have to go take another.
The wild roses are very fragrant when in bloom. Later the "rose hip,' a round berry-shaped growth where the flower used to be, develops. These are rich in vitamin C & can be used to make jam.
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Just for the record, elderberries are in the same plant family as honeysuckle and snowberry, the Caprifoliaceae. The leaves are opposite, that is, found in pairs. Little information is given about the eating the snowberry. Most books say edibility is unknown or the berry is tasteless.
About elderberry:
http://www.1upinfo.com/wildlife-plants-animals/plants/tree/samcer/value-use.html
Poison oak, which also has a white berry like snowberry, is in the same plant family as laurel sumac, lemonadeberry, sugarbush and skunkbush, the Anacardiaceae. Many people get reactions from laurel sumac as well as poison oak.
I've been hiking with people who've needed emergency care from touching Phacelia grandiflora, a blue flower that comes in after fires. Different people are sensitive to different plants.
It might be best to look up each individual kind of berry on the web. There are many many books written about wild edible fruits.
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Thanks for the info zelicaon. The Dr. told me about an elderberry/poison oak connection.
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There are some berry recipes in www.recipesource.com and www.allrecipes.com.
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Western Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana var demissa
These berries plants were found near the Cabin Flat area and
were photographed at night using a flash.
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/berries/chokecherry2.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/berries/chokecherry3.JPG)
(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/berries/chokecherry2.JPG)
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There are also a ton of these right along Highway 2 near Mt. High East.
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Here's a picture of a manzanita with fruit. People often make jelly out of the fruit.(http://www.wrightwoodcalif.com/nature/manzanitawithfruit.JPG)
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Looks like a good berry season. The manzanita berries are becoming ripe. So are some of the currants. The elderberries are flowering nicely.
Anyone else currantly interested in berry picking? ;D
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O. K.!! The berries are ripe and I'm home!
Ripe berries include currants, elderberries, and hillside gooseberries.
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Welcome home Nolena. I've missed your posts. Hope all went well back east.
by the way, do you know if there is any wild berries at grassy hollow? I'm going there today and am looking to make some fresh jam.
K
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Hey Nolena, have you checked the currants from the spot I told you about last year on Baden Powel ? Last year was such a bumper crop there, I was just wondering how they were this year and if it is worth a trip up there to pick some.
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I haven't been up there yet this year. I've been to some lower spots. The currants are good this year.
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Nolena, any plans to check out the currants on BP and are the the other currants you found anywhere near as abundant as the ones on BP were last year?
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I plan to go up BP soon, maybe this weekend. The currants should be just about ripe up there. Let me know if you're interested in going.
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Hiked up to Government Canyon today and was very disappointed in the berries. There was not a single chokecherry, nor currants, nor elderberries to be found. Unlike last year in that area when there were tons of berries.
I only saw a few rose hips and a few coffee berries. Anybody know what's up with that?
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In a word--DROUGHT :-/
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In a word--DROUGHT :-/
Actually TableMtn that may be part of it, but there were berry bushes next to the running steam that also were completely devoid of any berries even though they were lush green and obviously well watered from the stream.
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I went in search of chokecherries today in the same vicinity as Boston Bob. Last year, I ran out of bags for picking them. This year, there's nothing. The chokecherry bushes are even losing their leaves.
I went down into the stream bed to look, but it was very dry, and there was nary a berry.
I do remember seeing chokecherries on the road to the Bighorn Mine about a month ago.
Hmmmmmmmm.
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Nolena, you better stock up on your canning jars as I think it is going to be a banner year for chokecherries and currants. Here are some pictures of all the flowers on those fruit bushes that I took on my hike this morning.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/Chesslike/waterfallhike6-05011.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/Chesslike/waterfallhike6-05023.jpg)
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
I am SO ready!
Bring on the berries!! Uh HUH! Uh HUH! Uh HUH! :elefant:
-Insert Happy Dance Here-
I DO believe I know this place!
I pick berries; therefore I am! :)
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When you go out berry picking this year, let me know and I'll join you. I love to do the canned jam thang. Last year I did several billion pints of cherries, apple butter and strawberry jam.
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Great!
The apples should be good this year, too.
I go for chokecherries, currants, elderberries, and gooseberries. I'd like to try manzanita berries this year.
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I'd like to go picking with you, also.
AND you can keep my pickings and divvy them up between you, as I have NO PLANS to jam or can anything myself.
I just like to go berry picking... :)
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We'll get a regular berry picking squad going! It's really a lot of fun!
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It looks like this will be a fantastic elderberry year, and the currants look pretty good, also. Things are ripening much later than usual. It won't be full swing until the beginning of September.
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Some of the currants & elderberries are ripe! :2thumbsup:
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::)
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It's high season!! :2thumbsup:
The chokecherry plants are dripping with berries. So are the elderberries. The currants are also ripe.
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I just picked a bunch of choke cherries today. It's a good year for them.
I've gotten a whole lot of good elderberries, also.
It's a berry good time of year. :2thumbsup:
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Where did you pick them?
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Choke Cherries - Water Road east of Mountain High East off Highway 2
Elderberries - about 1/2 mile up Blue Ridge Road from Inspiration Point - dripping off the plants by the road side
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Sounds like it's almost drive thru picking ;)
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Did you get any blackberries. If you were there 2 weeks ago they should have been at their peak. Haven't been up there in several years but when we do go, we try to plan on being there the last 2 weeks of August. GREAT EATING. YUM
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If there weren't a gazillion of these things at this spot, I'd be keeping the secret to myself. :)
There are 3 HUGE elderberry bushes on Highway 2 just north of the Mountaineer Progress. They are LOADED with ripe elderberries. :2thumbsup: :o
There are enough that I will share. ;D
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It's a big year for elderberries down around Lupine Campground! :2thumbsup:
The currants are also coming along nicely.
The chokecherries are good in moist areas.
(http://www.wildcrafting.com/OldWildCraft/album1/Elderberries.jpg)
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If there weren't a gazillion of these things at this spot, I'd be keeping the secret to myself. :)
There are 3 HUGE elderberry bushes on Highway 2 just north of the Mountaineer Progress. They are LOADED with ripe elderberries. :2thumbsup: :o
There are enough that I will share. ;D
Thank you Nolena!
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I'm going to turn into an Elderberry.. I picked about 10 lbs today... ;D
...made one of the best pies of my life last week.. very easy! I have relatives leaving messages for more pie.. ::)
get em while they're hot!
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I want to go picking in the Lupine area within the next 2 weeks.
elderberries
currants
chokecherries
Anyone else interested? It's a 50 minute drive one way...a bring a lunch kind of thing.
Very pretty.
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Looks like a bumper crop of elderberries this year. :)
The chokecherries are looking pretty good, too.
Haven't looked at the manzanita berries yet.
:)
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(http://www.smugmug.com/photos/456454048_AVGU2-S.gif)(http://www.smugmug.com/photos/969950434_ysHaR-M.jpg)(http://www.smugmug.com/photos/456454048_AVGU2-S.gif)
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:o ;D
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Any suggestions on where to find some Elderberries?