UK Fruits and Berries - Edible or Poisonous?

 The UK's Wild Produce 🍏

The UK is home to many wild fruits and berries, from the well known blackberries to the almost unheard of sea buckthorn of coastal heathland and woodland. Autumn is the single best time for wild fruits, berries and nuts, so now is the best time to start foraging. However, it's important to know which you can eat and which to steer well clear of, so here is a guide to enjoy foraging (and not have to go to the hospital in the process!).

Blackberries

 Edible or Poisonous: Edible
Can be eaten: Raw, or made into jam, jelly, crumble or enjoyed in a fruit salad 
Season: From August to early October
Where to find them: Growing on brambles, often found in woods, hedgerows and gardens
Benefits: Rich in vitamins and minerals; vitamin C, vitamin K, Manganese, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Blackberries can lesser the chance of cancer.
Notes: A favourite for first-time foragers, when ripe they have a distinctive sweet flavour, but sour when unripe. Flowers turn into green berries, which then turn red and finally black to dark blue, which is the best time to eat them. Common across the UK and Ireland. Filled with tiny seeds which are edible. Look for spiky vines and leaves with black fruit.

Sloes

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Sour and bitter raw, best enjoyed in jam

Season: From August - November, October - November best harvesting time

Where to find them: Hedgerows, woodlands, gardens

Benefits: High in vitamin C, antioxidants, help with digestion, and more

Notes: They grow on blackthorn trees which are common across the country, each bush having possibly hundreds of berries. If consumed raw, it is recommended to spit out pips, which can cause upset stomachs if eaten in large quantities, but they can be eaten cooked. Look for flat, long green or orange leaves and spiky branches.

Haws

Edible or Poisonous: Edible in moderation (excluding seeds)

Can be eaten: Raw in moderation, also dried, cooked, or in jellies, jams, teas or wines

Season: September - late October, sweet in mid-late October

Where to find them: On Hawthorn trees, in hedgerows, woodland, gardens, farmland

Benefits: Often referred to as the 'Heart Herb' for its cardio-protective abilities, strengthening the heart and reducing the risk of heart failure.

Notes: Found growing on the hawthorn tree, which is also known as the thornapple or May tree. Make sure to always spit out the stone or pip, as it contains amygdalin, which releases cyanide when consumed. Identified by 5-lobed green leaves (which can be consumed) around 6cm long, and woody, thorny branches and red fruits.

Rosehips (dog)

Edible or Poisonous: Edible, but not seeds

Can be eaten: Raw, or in teas, jams and syrups

Season: Late September - December, best harvested after first frost which enhances sweetness

Where to find them: Hedgerows, gardens, woodlands

Benefits: Contains vitamin C, commonly used to relieve symptoms of arthritis and osteoarthritis, even known to help prevent chronic diseases like cancer

Notes: Found in dog rose trees, bright red oblong fruits which are only edible raw if you: cut the hip open, removing seeds and irritative hairs, then eat only the flesh. Bush itself has small, pointed green-yellow leaves sparsely across the upper branches of the tree.

Elderberries

Edible or Poisonous: Edible when ripe, mildly toxic if not and stems contain cyanide

Can be eaten: Raw, or in jams, crumbles, or jellies

Season: Mid July - Mid September

Where to find: Mainly woodlands and hedgerows

Benefits: 'Super Fruit'; full of antioxidants, triple the amount of vitamins of tomatoes, highly nutritious compared to other fruits and berries, including domestic species 

Notes: Easily mistakable for dogwood or pokeberry (which both are toxic), however elderberries can have 200+ berries per bunch, and unlike pokeberries they don't grow in a line, but rather randomly in groups.

Yew Berries 

Edible or Poisonous: All parts of the yew tree is highly toxic, apart from the arils (the flesh of the berries). Even usually edible mushrooms like chicken of the woods can absorb the taxine B found in every part of the tree but the berries.

Can be eaten: Raw - only if the seeds are removed from berries and with extreme caution - or in a jams, jellies, sauces or brewed to wine

Season: Autumn through into Winter

Where to find: Ancient woodlands, churchyards and parklands

Benefits: If the seeds can be avoided, the fruit of the yew can be very rewarding to eat, with the berries containing: potassium, magnesium, manganese, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, and lots of antioxidants though it may not be worth the risk.

Notes: They can be consumed by eating the fruit and spit out the seeds, or easily separated by hand or  with tweezers. The trees are identified by needle-like leaves, a twisted brown log, and plastic-looking berries. In 2024 a 14 year old boy died from eating toxic parts of a yew tree, so it's advisable to stay away from eating the berries all together unless you know exactly how to deal with them.

Rowan Berries

Edible or Poisonous: Edible if processed correctly

Can be eaten: Frozen, cooked, or processed, made into marmalade.

Season: September is the best time

Where to find them: Usually forests, also hedgerows, parklands and carparks

Benefits: High in dietary fibre, vitamin C, and antioxidants including quercetin and scorbic acids. This boosts the immune system, aids digestion and decreases the chance of  cancer and similar conditions.

Notes: Edible if cooked or frozen. A favourite raw to birds like waxwings, redstarts, and thrushes. 

Wild Strawberries

 Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Fresh of the plant, juiced, in a jelly, jam, or any other way you could use domestic strawberries

Season: June - August

Where to find them: Woodlands, scrubland, meadows, parklands, roadside

Benefits: Vitamin C, potassium, manganese, vitamin B9, ellagic acid, and quercetin are all found in wild strawberries. This prevents cancer, controls diabetes, regulates blood pressure, boosts immunity, aids digestion, heals sore throats, detoxify the body, prevent kidney damage, and lots more. 

Notes: Unlike other fruits mentioned, it doesn't grow on trees, shrubs or bushes. Instead, it grows on small plants, only growing to around 5-20cm high. They are smaller and easier to grow than domestic strawberries. They are easy to forage as they spread over large areas and fruit on mass. They are much sweeter than their domestic counterparts and smaller. Additionally, your body will thank you for choosing wild strawberries as a substitute for their domestic counterparts, due to the domestic strawberries' unfortunate title of having the most amount of chemicals of any fruit, with up to 23 individual types of pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides on one berry.

Wild Raspberries

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Raw, in a salad, juiced, in a jam, or any way you could use domestic raspberries

Season: June-October

Where to find: Woodland clearings, woodland edges, glades, scrubland, parkland, roadside

Benefits: Vitamins C and K, fibre, reduces risk or cancer, heart-failure and age related diseases

Notes: Grown on tall bushes. Very similar to brambles, yet mis-identification doesn't matter as both plants have the same edible features.

Bilberries

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Raw, however have relatively tart flavour, instead can be cooked in jams, pies, or other dishes.

Season: Late Summer - Autumn

Where to find: Woodland, heathland, bogs, hedgerows, moors, prefers acidic soils

Benefits: Improved vision and eye health, help battle inflammation, lower blood glucose, having manganese, antioxidants, vitamin K and C, as well as others.

Notes: Blueberry-like in appearance, grows especially in higher altitude. They have beautiful pink-purple to white flowers that have three petals and appear in June.

Gooseberries

Edible or Poisonous: Edible 

Can be eaten: Raw, however is incredibly sour, so it is recommended to eat in a crumble, jam or dried

Season: Mid-June - July

Where to find: Hedgerows and copses to extensive woodland

Benefits: Hearth health, digestion, and weigh loss, having antioxidants, vitamin C and more

Notes: Brought to Britain in the 13th century, unmistakeable for any other plant when fruiting. Almost grape-like in appearance, colour and taste but instead growing singularly with lobed leaves.

Juniper Berries

Edible or poisonous: Common Juniper is edible

Can be eaten: From the tree, also used in spices, flavours, gin and the Balkan bittersweet lemonade, smreka. To make this traditional European drink,  add a few handfuls of juniper berries to a jar of filtered water, adding a lemon slice if you wish. Seal the pot tightly and place in a warm spot like a windowsill, and open to stir every few days for two - four weeks until lightly carbonated.

Season: August - December

Where to find: Mixed or coniferous woodland, parklands and occasionally hedgerows

Benefits: Supports skin health, clears airways, has antioxidant properties, kills bacteria, even eliminate parasites and more.

Notes: looking similar to sloes or bilberries, told apart by 1) having needles and 2) being up to 10 metres tall. The fruit is actually a modified cone.

Cherries (wild)

Edible or Poisonous: Edible, but stones are toxic

Can be eaten: Raw or in jams, jellies or brewed to wine, can even be made into syrups or sauces. Commonly found in baked goods.

Season: Mid June - Early July

Where to find: Gardens, parkland, forests 

Benefits: Supports cardiovascular health, reduce inflammation, and more.

Notes: As soon as the berries become ripe (note the dark red colour) both birds like finches and thrushes, and mammals like rodents will devour all the fruits, so be quick to harvest! Always remember to leave some for wildlife though!

Cherries (bird)

Edible or Poisonous: Edible, but stones contain cyanide 

Can be eaten: Best cooked instead of eaten raw

Season: June - August

Where to find them: Wet woodlands, or by streams and rivers

Benefits: When prepared correctly, they can provide cough relief, help digestion and have anti-inflammatory properties

Notes: Rare in Southern England and Wales. Ripen black instead of red or orange like wild cherries.

Cherry (Cornelian)

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Raw 

Season: Early - Late Summer

Where to find them: Forest edges and open woodland, gardens and orchards

Benefits: They have anti-inflammatory properties and have been known to prevent chronic diseases like cancer. Additionally, they are full of antioxidants, minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, E, C, and K.

Notes: These cherries ripen bright red, and a elongated - often more pear-shaped in appearance. The leaves are oblong and grow in pairs, twigs are green and branches are brown.

Mulberries

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Raw, or made into juice or tea (the tea being made from the leaves)

Season: June - Early September

Where to find them: Woodlands, along fences, gardens and near water

Benefits: Vitamin C helps fight infections, vitamin A helps vision, vitamin K, magnesium and calcium help bone  growth, and fibre contents prevents                                                                                                              diarrhoea.

Notes: An elongated version of the blackberry which grows on trees instead of shrubs. Different varieties can ripen at purple-black, red or even green. 

Honeyberries

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Raw, in jellies, jams, baked goods,  drizzled over desserts, or goes well in a smoothie

Season: May - July

Where to find them: Ancient Woodlands, Hedgerows, and Traditional Orchards, however are very uncommon across Britain

Benefits: Contain Vitamin A, antioxidants, and potassium. This helps protect cells from DNA damage.

Notes: Native to Siberia and Japan, this non-native species is rare in the wild and doesn't do much damage to native species. Because of it's native range, it can stand harsh Winters well below freezing, surviving to -40°.It has elongated, blue berries that taper off to a point which curves back on itself. It is grown more commonly in captivity than the wild in Britain

Stone Bramble

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Raw, or in jellies or jams

Season: Mid-July - September

Where to find them: Particularly in rocky or gravelly areas in Northern England or Scotland; found in woodlands, moors, and even gravel tracks.

Benefits: Rich in vitamins and antioxidants

Notes: A lesser-known, red-ripening cousin of the blackberry or bramble listed above, this species is much smaller and has shorter vines or branches then their close relatives. After fruiting on the second year of it's life, the stems die back, being what's called biennial.

Sea Buckthorn

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Raw in moderation, however it is can cause stomach upsets and it is recommended to have them in juices, jams, syrups or sauces. Often used as a lemon juice alternative.

Season: August - October, though very occasionally into January

Where to find them: Coastal regions including cliffs, sand dunes and heathland.

Benefits: Contains over ten times more vitamin C than the same weight of oranges.

Notes: Growing usually near the sea, sea buckthorn has bright orange berries and small, long leaves that resemble that of succulents. They can grow in large thickets and are very thorny so gloves are advised for large scale harvesting. 

Guelder rose

Edible or Poisonous: Edible when cooked; contain toxic compounds broken down by heat.

Can be eaten: Cooked; in jams, jellies, syrups, sauces, cordials, or even dried for herbal teas.

Season: August - October

Where to find: Damp woodlands, hedgerows and river banks - commonly in chalky or neutral soils.

Benefits: Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants when prepared correctly

Notes: Berries are bright red, translucent berries around 5mm - 7mm and grow in clusters. They have maple-like, green - red-orange leaves and grow on shrubs  around 4 metres in height. 

Wild Cranberry

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Raw, but the sweetness is enhanced if cooked or made into a jam or jelly.

Season: August - October

Where to find them: Peatland, bogs, moors, woods and wet heathlands

Benefits: Containing high levels of vitamin C, they promote the immune system and help fight off infections. Additionally, they help gut health by containing dietary fibres.

Notes: They grow on low growing creeping shrubs with have trailing stems, and are in the same family as the gorse. Their flowers - which are key for peatland pollinators -  are very visually intriguing - pale pink in colour, almost looking like small jellyfish floating on the stem. Always be careful picking fruit - some populations are legally protected and uprooting the plants  - even if accidental - is against the law.

   A wild cranberry in bloom

 

Wild Black Currants

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Raw, or in wild currant juices, smoothies or baked goods

Season: July - August

Where to find them: Any habitat with partial sun light and well-drained, fertile soils such as verges and hedges.

Benefits: They have high levels of vitamin 
C boosting the immune system, as well as helping vision and lessening the chances of age-based eye diseases.

Notes: Some poisonous berries can be mistaken for this berry. The leaves have 3-5 lobes and are palmate, and have a hairy underside and a comparatively hairless upper side. Learn more about how to tell it apart later on.

Wild Red Currant

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Straight from the tree or in a natural fruit juice, or dried in a dessert like a cake or cookie.

Season: July - Early September

Where to find: Open woodlands, hedgerows, scrub, and riverbanks.

Benefits: Contains vitamin C, K, A, and dietary fibers - aiding digestion - and potassium, helping cardiovascular health.

Notes: Unlike their toxic doppelgänger black bryony, they have maple-like, palmate leaves, and usually grow in large bunches on white hanging strings - known as racemes - rather than directly of the stem, which climbs and twists around structures or woody stems for black bryony, however is upright and strong (not flimsy) in red currants.

Crowberries

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Fresh off the plant or in a jam or pie

Season: From late Summer - Winter

Where to find them: Acidic moors, heaths, and bogs

Benefits: Crowberries have a range of benefits to health, from supporting skin with vitamin C to helping oxidative stress with its plentiful antioxidants. Additionally, they aid digestion, support the kidney, and improve the immune system. 

Notes: a ground-covering species, they only grown to a maximum of around 30cm. They are moss-like in appearance, and flower in Summer; producing small, pink to red flowers.

Whitebeam

Edible or Poisonous: Edible

Can be eaten: Safe to eat raw, but are not pleasant so best let to blet (soften by letting to overripe and decomposition) or consumed in jams, jellies or preserves.

Where to find: Open woodland and glades, scrubland, chalk downland, and occasionally hedgerows, gardens and parkland.

Benefits: Their mealy texture comes from their high dietary fibres, and they also contain ascorbic acid - also known  vitamin C.

Notes: They have oval, broad leaves which are 6 - 12cm long, which are covered in dense white hairs. In parts of England, they are known as 'chess apples'.

Plums

Plums, while no strictly native as hawthorn or bramble, come in many different forms in the UK, many of which are edible. All edible plums are a great source of vitamin C, antioxidants, dietary fibers and more. While some varieties are commonly found in the wild like sloes and damsons, other are usually found in orchards, gardens and parklands or as escapees in hedgerows and woodlands. Here's a guide to some of the more common species of British plums:

Cherry Plums

Edible or Poisonous: Edible, but pits are toxic

Can be eaten: Raw if pits can be avoided, or in jams, jellies, tarts or crumbles

Season: July - October, August - September is best season

Where to find them: Woodlands, orchards, gardens, parkland and hedgerows

Notes: While many cherry plum varieties ripen pink or purple, some can ripen red, yellow or purple-black. They are a naturalised species that originated in the UK by spreading out of gardens and parks, and are now commonly found in the wild. The leaves are oval-shaped and they grow on 6-8 metre trees.

Bullaces

Edible or Poisonous: Edible, but have toxic stones

Can be eaten: Raw if ripe and pits are avoided, however they are acidic and sour so are best enjoyed cooked

Season: Late September - Early November

Where to find them: Woodlands, orchards, gardens, parkland and hedgerows

Notes: Generally ripen the same colour as sloes (though they are bigger) but some can ripen yellow-green or even white. Identifiable by small yet broad oval leaves, grown on a tree usually less than 6 metres but can get to over 8 in good conditions.

Damsons

Edible or Poisonous: Edible with inedible, cyanide filled seeds or pips

Can be eaten: Raw, or in jams, jellies, compotes or pies or even gin

Season: August, September and October are the prime harvesting months

Where to find them: Woodlands, orchards, gardens, parkland and hedgerows

Notes: A pink or purple feral plum, these fruits are common throughout Britain and are easily identified by elongated fruits rather than the spherical shape of the smaller damsons or sloes. Their leaves are long and veins run up and to the side of the leaf. The trees grow up from 3 - 6 metres when mature, and produce fruit within 3 -4 years of planting and while most live 15 - 20 years, some varieties can live on for over 50 years, producing fruit very year when mature. 

Greengage Plums

Edible or Poisonous: Edible, but as with any plum pits contain amygdalin, breaking down into cyanide

Can be eaten: Raw or in salads, but are a favourite for puddings like compotes, crumbles, jams, jellies, tarts but also even chutney

Season: August - September

Where to find: Woodlands, orchards, gardens, parkland and hedgerows

Notes: Unironically this originally Middle-Eastern plum variety is edible when green, though some may ripen yellow, white or purple. Other than the unmistakable green fruits, other ways of identification include the presence of broad, flat leaves that share the colour of the plums themselves.

Golden Sphere Plum

Edible or Poisonous: Edible, poisonous pips

Can be eaten: Raw as they are sweet and juicy, or enjoyed in jellies, jams or other sweet treats

Season: Mid-August is the best time, but can be harvested any time around it

Where to find: Woodlands, orchards, gardens, parkland and hedgerows, though more often found growing ornamentally or in orchards rather than wild

Notes: Ripening bright yellow or gold, this member of the prunus genus is a favourite for gardens and parkland. It has a similar tree to any other plum, growing to around 8-11 feet.

Apples

There is only one truly wild, native apple in the UK: the crab apple, however many escaped domestic species also inhabit Britain's hedgerows, meadows and woodlands. Crab apples are much smaller than their domestic alternatives (domestic apples are bred to be bigger and tastier) and, especially if unripe, they can be so bitter and sour that they can temporarily contort you face muscles, so are best eaten cooked. The well known saying: 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' is actually factually backed up, with studies finding that this habit can reduce the chance of premature death by 35%! They are high in vitamins, antioxidants and more.

Crab (or wild) Apples

Edible or Poisonous: Edible but inedible seeds

Can be eaten: Raw if necessary - however very much recommended to cook first

Season: September - November, maybe even to December

Where to find them: Hedgerows, orchards, forests, scrubland, meadows and gardens.

Notes: A sour wild apple present in Britain since the last ice-age, crab apples are present across much of the UK, and are easily identified by medium sized green-yellow or red fruits, growing on small trees 

without thorns at around 3 - 7 metres.

Bramley's Apples

Edible or Poisonous: Edible, but deadly pips

Can be eaten: Raw or in crumbles, salads, jams or pies

Season: August - October

Where to find them: Gardens, hedgerows, orchards, forests and parkland

Notes: A large domestic apple that is now commonly found in the wild, they are sweet enough to eat raw as well as in cooking. They often ripen green to red.

Cox's Orange Pippin Apples

Edible or Poisonous: Edible with toxic seeds

Can be eaten: Fresh from the tree as they do not store well, or in desserts

Season: September - November

Where to find: Gardens, hedgerows, orchards, woodlands and parkland

Notes: A red and yellow striped fruit which grow on a generally small shrub of around 1 - 3.5 metres. A domestic apple that is commonly found in orchards and gardens but also in woodlands and hedgerows where they have escaped to.

Discovery Apples

Edible or Poisonous: Edible with inedible seeds

Can be eaten: Raw or cooked in crumbles or jams. Often described as tasting like strawberries

Season: August - September

Where to find: Gardens, hedgerows, orchards, woodlands and parkland

Notes: Another escaped domestic apple, the fruit is bright red with green nearer the top and bottom. 

Golden Delicious

Edible or Poisonous: Edible, but with toxic pips

Can be eaten: Raw, or in a crumble, pie, or jam. They have  sweet and mellow flavour.

Season: October - Early February

Where to find: Orchards, gardens, parkland, woodlands, parkland and scrubland

Notes: They ripen yellow-green or 'golden' and trees can reach between 4.5 and 6 metres. When mature, they produce plentiful fruit - hundreds could be growing in good conditions.

Pears

Pears look like elongated apples, and come in a surprising amount of native and introduced species in the UK. They have many benefits; from supporting cardiovascular health to regulating blood sugar levels, containing vitamins C, K, and B6. Here is our native and some introduced species:

Plymouth Pears

Edible or Poisonous: Edible with toxic pips

Can be eaten: Technically edible when raw, but are not very palatable, having hard marble-sized fruits

Season: Late Summer - Early Autumn

Where to find them: Hedgerows or woodlands

Notes: The only tree protected on the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, this species is now only found in two sites in Devon and Cornwall, including the site it was first found: Plymouth. The fruit is almost more apple-shaped than pear-shaped, and are very sour when mature. Only truly native pear to the UK.

European Wild Pear

Edible or Poisonous: Edible with toxic seeds

Can be eaten: Edible raw, however cooking or fermenting can enhance the flavour

Season: Peak at September

Where to find them: Gardens, hedgerows, orchards, woodlands and parkland

Notes: The 10 - 20 metre thorny trees produce fruit at 6 years and after. The leaves have one white vein running through, and have small fruits with a 5 sided star shape leaf on the bottom of fruit.

Common Pear

Edible or Poisonous: Edible with inedible seeds.

Can be eaten: Raw, or in salads, cakes, smoothies, or even in wine

Season: Late August through October

Where to find them: Orchards, gardens, parklands, woodlands and hedgerows

Notes: The common pear has been present in the UK since around 995 AD, a resemble to stereotypical pear shape. The leaves have one crease running through it's ovular shape, and the trees generally grow to 10 metres, while some can reach 20. Though not strictly native, they are now naturalised here and have great benefits to wildlife. 

Conference Pears 

Edible or Poisonous: Edible with toxic seeds

Can be eaten: Fresh from the tree or in salads, cakes, or even the so-called 'Roasted Pear Blue Cheese' where you stuff them with a mix of crumbled blue cheese, honey, vinegar and thyme to make a savoury dish.

Season: Early September  - Mid November

Where to find: Orchards, woodlands, scrubland, hedgerows, gardens and parkland

Notes: A traditional cultivated species, they are easy to identify as they are likely the most 'pear-shaped' pear there is. The trees first fruit between 3-6 years of age, and can grow to a maximum height of 8-10 metres with a potential spread of 6 - 8 metres. They can live and fruit for 40 - 60 years or more in good conditions.

Deadly Nightshade

Edible or Poisonous: Highly poisonous; 2 - 4 berries could kill a child and 10 - 20 a fully-grown adult. All parts - berries, leaves, roots - are toxic to humans though birds and even some mammals can consume them.

Where they are found: Grassland, heathland, moorland, woodlands and occasionally gardens - though do not rule out the possibility if a you find a similar looking plant outside of the their general habitat 

Season: Through August to October

Can be mistaken for: bilberries - but unlike deadly nightshade which are usually noted to have pale flesh, bilberries have dark purple flesh that very easily stain your hands when not handled very carefully or are slightly squashed. 

Notes: The berries grow singularly on long stems (unlike many similar looking plants like crowberries, currants and bilberries which grow in clusters), and have 5 large sepals - basically leafy bits -  behind them. The berries are a very shiny and glossy black, whereas bilberries, currants and crowberries are matt black to a blue colour. The plants are often described as being like an overgrown potato plant (as they are in the same family) and are a stout, bushy perennial - reaching around 150cm.

Ivy

Edible or poisonous: Poisonous

Where they are found: Commonly in woodlands growing up trees, gardens, and often growing up the walls of houses and other buildings like sheds.

Season: Late Autumn - Winter

Can be mistaken for: Elderberries, however they grow on small shrubs or trees whereas ivy is more blue and grows on climbing vines.

Notes: These plants form thick foliage and are a great nesting area and source of late food, with birds like thrushes relying on the Winter-ripening berries in the harshest of seasons.

Holly

Edible or Poisonous: Poisonous

Where they are found: Woodlands, churchyards, gardens and parkland

Season: Late Autumn - Deep Winter

Can be mistaken for: Whitebeam, however you can easily tell them apart by the trees themselves and their leaves. Low down on Holly trees, or sometimes on the whole bush if it is quite small, their leaves are pointed and spiky to protect them from deer and other grazers. However, higher up far from the reach of these threats, they have no reason to be spiky as it uses more energy; and hence are free of spikes, instead being oblong in shape, and the same colour as the leaves lower down. Additionally, they only have one vein - the main one, called the midrib - and mostly lacks any others, unlike whitebeam leaves which have many small veins coming off of the midrib. 

Notes: Festive, but deadly; the holly's bright red berries that may remind you of Christmas are in fact poisonous. 1 -2 could be eaten without major damage (though it is DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMENDED to eat any amount) though 20 or maybe even less could kill you. Though dangerous to humans, they act as a lifeline for small birds in a season when very little food exists. 

Spindle

Edible or Poisonous: Poisonous, including seeds

Where they are found: Woodland, parkland, gardens and scrubland.

Season: Late Summer - October

Can be mistaken for: It doesn't have any lookalikes; they are the only British berry or fruit that has a pink capsule with vibrant orange berries - and the only berries that look remotely like it are also poisonous.

Notes: Easily identified by the berries described above, but if not in fruiting season they can be identified by many thin, long branches growing outwards and upwards, often without a defined trunk. Though the dazzling berries may look appetizing, it is important to resist the urge and not consume these Autumn fruits. 

Bittersweet Nightshade

Edible or Poisonous: Poisonous

Where are they found: Woodland, roadside and verges, scrubland, meadows, hedgerows, gardens and more.

Season: Berries ripen red or sometimes yellow in Late Summer an Autumn. They flower between May - 

September

Can be mistaken for: Cherry tomatoes (they are in the same family) which have yellow flowers unlike bittersweet nightshade's purple blooms, and tomato stems are very fuzzy and hairy.

Notes: Unlike their deadly cousins (though only deadly nightshade is clearly labelled dangerous, both species are!) this species of nightshade have bright red, tomato like berries and common across the country. Despite their tomato-like looks, don't be fooled; these berries are poisonous and not safe for consumption.

Black Bryony

Edible or Poisonous: Poisonous

Where they are found: Most usually hedgerows, woodland edges, scrub and gardens

Season: Late Autumn persisting into Winter

Can be mistake for: Easily mistake for red currants, however: Red currants grow in Summer (often June-July, which is the complete wrong season for this bryony species). Additionally, currants grow on woody shrubs, not climbers like black bryony, and have palmate - or roughly hand-shaped - leaves, unlike that of the heart-shaped leaves of black bryony. Furthermore, red currants grow off dangling strings known as racemes and grow in large bunches, whereas black bryony grows in small groups almost directly off the stem.

Notes: A climbing species, it can often grow on the walls of sheds or wrap its way round the branches of other plants. The berries ripen a glossy red, starting green then transitioning to yellow-orange and finally red. 

Lords-and-ladies (arums)

Edible or Poisonous: Poisonous

Where they are found: Woodlands, roadsides and paths

Season: Autumn

Can be mistaken for: While the berries may look similar to others, they are almost unmistakeable on account of the fact they grow on a green, singular straight stem which grows about half a metre in total. 

Notes: The berries ripen dull red, and grow on top of a singular long green stem, though they often grow over large areas. While eaten by birds, mammals, and other species it is important to note these berries are deadly toxic. 

Snowberries

Edible or Poisonous: Inedible

Where they are found: Road verges, woodlands, hedgerows, paths, gardens, scrub and similar species.

Season: Late Autumn, often lasting through 

Winter into snowfall (as it's name suggests)

Can be mistaken for: Not much on account for it's strikingly beautiful snow-white berries.

Notes: A hardy, woody plant that grows white berries 1-2 cm in diameter. The berries contain isoquinoline alkaloids, including chelidonine. It was introduced to Britain in the 19 century from North America where native tribes utilized them for medicines; though it is not recommended to consume them as they cause symptoms like dizziness, nausea and vomiting. 

Wild Privet

Edible or Poisonous: Deadly when eaten

Where they are found: Hedgerow and scrub patches

Season: September - December

Can be mistaken for: Elderberries, though they grow on tall trees up to 15 metres rather than the 3 - 5 of wild privet. Plus, wild privet grow in small bundles, whereas elderberries grow on huge bunches, sometimes 200 or more strong.

Notes: Though used for hedges commonly, be warned; their fruit are poisonous. Despite their toxicity to humans, they are the staple food plant of the privet hawk moth's caterpillars, and are also regularly feasted on by thrushes, corvids and other medium sized to large birds.

 A privet hawk moth and its caterpillar

Daphne

Edible or Poisonous: Poisonous, especially bark and fruit. Even a handful of berries could be fatal.

Where they are found: Prefers chalk or limestone woodlands, often on rocky slopes. Additionally, they thrive in well-drained alkaline soils, but can grow in fens or wetlands in partial sunlight. Often ornamental in parkland or gardens.

Season: Berries appear in Summer, and fragrant, pink flowers bloom in late Winter or Spring, often before leaves.

Can be mistake for: Guelder rose or wild cherries, however cherries are larger with stalks and serrated leaves, and guelder rose berries are translucent and grow on umbels, not scattered singularly. 

Notes: Only first recorded on the island in 1752, it's native status is debated. It is scarce, so, while still being prepared, don't be too wary of coming across this species and it's deadly nature.

Dogwood

Edible or Poisonous: Toxic

Where they are found: Woodland, scrubland, gardens, and parkland usually.

Season: Late Summer - Early Autumn after flowering.

Can be mistaken for: Elderberries, though they grow much higher up, on bigger bunches, and are shinny rather than a mostly matt-black of dogwood.

Notes: With green to red leaves and small bunches of black berries, dogwood is easily identifiable to the trained eye. Only growing to around 3 - 4 metres, they are often seen as a bush or shrub rather than a tree unlike its lookalikes.

And there we go - 50 berries and fruits found in the wild of the UK, some poisonous and some perfectly edible. I feel that foraging is a great way to reconnect with nature - when we eat from the land, we respect it more than we would otherwise. Additionally, just having a reason to be outside is great; you're much more likely to see birds, mammals, invertebrates and other species while foraging than sat at home doing nothing, and it is brilliant to know that you are sharing the same food source with the wildlife too! However, obviously everything birds or mammals eat isn't necessarily edible to humans, so it is vital you show caution whilst foraging and correctly identify what you eat. And, as for a 'rule of thumb', while you may hear myths like you cannot eat red berries, this is incorrect - on one hand there is holly, toxic and inedible, but in the other hand there is wild raspberries, a perfectly edible and delicious fruit! There is only one true rule to follow when eating from the wild - if you can't name it, you can't eat it. It's that simple. It may look appetizing, but often the most unassuming berries are the most toxic ones. And as a disclaimer, this blog post should just be one of many sources you use to forage, so you know what you eating is definitely meant to be eaten. Thank you for reading, I hope you have learned something this Pernature edition. And, apologies - I haven't posted for a while, but now I'm back up and running - and be ready to see many more posts coming your way in the near future! Thanks again, 

Isaacp  Per[Nature]🌿