Part II-Minor Fruits for the Home Garden

Yes, barberries are edible. The English often used them for that purpose. They're featured in John Parkinson's "A Garden of Pleasant Flowers," originally published in 1629. Barberries appear in the last section of the book on orchards.

The plants are alternate hosts for black stem rust on grain. In America, some states banned them for that reason. Canada did as well. That is beginning to change.

Barberries are commonly grown as ornamental plants. Harvest the berries from these landscape plants so long as pesticides aren't used. "The Martha's Vineyard Cookbook" by Louise Tate King et al, published by Globe Pequot, has a delicious recipe for barberry jelly.

Buffaloberry

Buffaloberries are native to Canada and the western U.S. Now that the silverberry is viewed as an invasive plant, this species is recommended as a replacement. Bear in mind that the flower buds can be harmed by late spring frost. For that reason, it is best to plant them on a north slope.

Buffaloberry is also called Nebraska currant and rabbit berry. Buffaloberry grows as a small tree or a shrub. The thorny plants produce male and female flowers on separate plants.

The larger fruits will be about the size of a cherry, but in general they tend to be somewhat smaller than that. Usually, the berries ripen in late summer. Frost and cold weather improves the flavor, so take your time in harvesting them. They're used for jellies, preserves, sauce, and are dried.

Elderberries

Elderberries are another of the native fruits. In general, these shrubs are very easy to grow. They're suitable for most any kind of soil except for excessively wet ones. They usually have few disease or pest problems. However, powdery mildew can occur in particularly wet years.

If you're planting elderberry bushes, be sure and buy two cultivars for cross-pollination. A number of improved kinds are now available. Elderberry fruits are usually ready to pick in August or September. They grow in large clusters, and the easiest way to harvest them is to remove the whole bunch at one time.

Elderberries are suitable for various dishes, including pies, jams, jellies, and especially for wine. When eaten raw, the fruits can have a laxative effect.

Fuchsia

Now, it may hardly seem possible for the lovely fuchsia plants to bear edible berries. But, the fact is that they do. I remember seeing a cultivar with fruits with a melon-like flavor listed in the Raintree Nursery catalog.

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