Can you identify?

[Kim]

I spotted a few bushes today that were as bare as you like, stereotypical winter twig like things but they had what looked like white berries on them, looked like little round balls of snow...does anyone know what they are?

 

[Gary]

Kim was it in a garden or some such?

There is a ornamental tree from china called Josephs rock or something - I forget the full name - this has ash like leaves and white berries.

I dont know if its of use but i did eat the berries once with no ill effects - but of course I wouldnt recommend this without 100% ID.

 

[Kim]

Will not be eating them any time soon! Too much chocolate to get through.. ): ...they are in some wooded/park areas around me.

 

[Gary]

Well I really cant think of any other wild white berries at the moment - I might have to have a look in my tree bible!!

Anyway stick to chocolate you cant go wrong!

 

[Kim]

If they're still around next week I'll pick one to see if they're hard/soft etc. Won't have a chance to before then.

 

[Gary]

Ok MATE HAVE A LOOK FOR LEAVES AND SUCH TOO - anything to help ID it.

 

[Wayne]

Sounds like they could be snow berries. Not edible by the way. A garden plant that has become localised in some places. My god never thought i would try an answer a plant question.

snow berry

 

[familne]

Yeah, just about to suggest snowberry:

http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/trees/snowberry.htm

I have eaten a few, not very palatable.

 

[leon-1]

Kim, Familne is on the right sort of track try looking through thier search facility here, this may lead you to the plant you are after :wave:

 

[tomtom]

if you stand on them they go POP very satisfactorily!

 

[RovingArcher]

You wouldn't have Poison Oak there would you? Many times the white berries will remain well into winter.

 

[Gary]

Snowberry - ya could be - again another ornamental, its american I think.

 

[Justin Time]

Yup, We get Snowberries in the woods round here in South Wales, lots of thin twigs and big fat snowballs, not edible.

 

[Jack]

Misoltoe?

 

[jakunen]

Very much doubt it'd be mistletoe.

Most probably a snowberry, maybe a waxberry, may even be an escapee skimmia. Or if it's more treelike that bush, it may well be one of the eastern rowans, quite a few of those from China and Tibet have whote berries. If you can post a pic Kim, I should be able to ID it for you (I used to have my own garden company and still have all my books).

 

[Rob]

My mum has some on her small holding. Sounds like Snowberry to me, quite a bushy plant that grows like mad.

This time of year I have seen them with no leaves and just berries, and some years with a few leaves hanging on.

I dont think that they are eatable, or she would be eating them. (Everything that is edible there has been used through 2 wars - hazel, medlars, walnuts, mushrooms etc, etc, etc)

 

[Gary]

Snowberry is used to feed pheasants i think.

 

[KIMBOKO]

I saw it in Food for Free Richard Mabey.
I have tried it. Edible but little taste.

Following link to plant database........

link here

Fruit - raw or cooked[2, 105, 161]. An insipid flavour, it is best if cooked[177]. The fruit is rather boring[K]. The fruit is about 15mm in diameter[200]. See the notes at top of page regarding possible toxicity

 

[maverick]

Does it look like this

this is Sorbus cashmiriana common name Kashmir rowan

 

[Skippy]

Picture of snowberry fruit, and twig, and flower, and leaves on link below:

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/salbus.htm


Link worked as at 02:48 7/1/04