Some Wild fruit

[swaine]

I started a thread a bit back about wild gooseberries , I grow about 55-60 varieties but never seen a gooseberry in the wild before the other day, also came across some wild currants didnt know if they where white or red, but leaves didn't have that musky blackcurrant smell
Stew

[swaine]

wild currant , looked a good cropper

[boundtothesoil]

Do you think some of the wild bushes are the result of seeds deposited by birds after passing through their digestive system? If so, could they be related to cultivated varieties? I don't know anything about gooseberry or currant genetics. Like, do they self pollinate or need another variety to cross pollinate?

[veggiechicken]

I have redcurrants springing up all over the garden - at some distance from the "parent" plants. They must have been spread by fruit-pinching birds.

[weed]

of all wild fruit the wild strawberry must be king. Tiny in size but huge amounts of flavour or am i just biased as my child hood summers where spent hunting these free sweets

[swaine]

ive only found a couple of pieces of information on wild gooseberries, one was a slight disagreement between two people on if gooseberries are native or naturalised , at a guess I would say these are possibly bird sown?, so a seedling of something we have in cultivation, I think gooseberries and currants quite self fertile but possibly produce a slight better crop with other members of the family close by ,
stew

Do you think some of the wild bushes are the result of seeds deposited by birds after passing through their digestive system? If so, could they be related to cultivated varieties? I don't know anything about gooseberry or currant genetics. Like, do they self pollinate or need another variety to cross pollinate?

[swaine]

currants and birds are great for raising experimental seedlings
stew

I have redcurrants springing up all over the garden - at some distance from the "parent" plants. They must have been spread by fruit-pinching birds.

[swaine]

we found a lot of wild strawberries when we went on holiday to Scotland, a great find
stew

of all wild fruit the wild strawberry must be king. Tiny in size but huge amounts of flavour or am i just biased as my child hood summers where spent hunting these free sweets

[Invicta]

wild fruit

I have come across occasional black currant bushes, usually on disturbed ground which are probably bird sown. The flowering currant with the pinky red flowers also turns up occasionally in the wild. We do have a native currant Ribes alpinum that has berries like a red currant, but the leaves are small more like goosebrry leaves. I have seen this growing in Chee Dale in Derbyshire. My favourite wild fruit is the Whinberry [a.k.a Bilberry, Blaeberry etc], I always make an annual trip to where it is common and pick as may as possible. Flavour like a Blueberry, but strongerwhen cooked.

[Scarlet]

I have redcurrants springing up all over the garden - at some distance from the "parent" plants. They must have been spread by fruit-pinching birds.

Me too! Currants and gooseberries. Usually in my path, along with chard plants, Mexican tree spinach and parsnips!

[Scarlet]

My favourite wild fruit is the Whinberry [a.k.a Bilberry, Blaeberry etc], I always make an annual trip to where it is common and pick as may as possible. Flavour like a Blueberry, but strongerwhen cooked.

I've always known them as wimberries. Picked them as a kid and I often make a special trip home to Wales to pick them when they are in season. They take hours to pick.

[swaine]

bilberry are a great find, but I have never found enough, just a few here and there, Wild raspberries are one of my favourites, real tang to them stew

I have come across occasional black currant bushes, usually on disturbed ground which are probably bird sown. The flowering currant with the pinky red flowers also turns up occasionally in the wild. We do have a native currant Ribes alpinum that has berries like a red currant, but the leaves are small more like goosebrry leaves. I have seen this growing in Chee Dale in Derbyshire. My favourite wild fruit is the Whinberry [a.k.a Bilberry, Blaeberry etc], I always make an annual trip to where it is common and pick as may as possible. Flavour like a Blueberry, but strongerwhen cooked.

[veggiechicken]

I like dewberries - picked on the sand dunes of South Wales. Feel and taste like warm sweet velvet. Brings back memories of rolling down the sand dunes as a kid

[DuncanM]

Not everything you find will be "wild". I might have been known to gorilla plant currant cuttings amongst a few other favourites in top secret locations

[Invicta]

Whinberries

They are easiest to pick when you find them growing in the light shade of a deciduous wood. This draws the plant up higher so it is less back breaking. Also helps to take some slaves [a.k.a. children] to help pick them. usually get about 2 pound of them this way.