Sloe or Bilberry?

[W0lf]

Found some lovely blue berries and can't work out if they are sloe or bilberry. I don't have a photo (yet) but was just wondering if anyone has a easy way to tell the difference .... Been looking on google but the images of the berry look very similar ....

 

[marcusleftthesite]

Bilberries grow on the ground about a foot high and Slows are from bushes up to 7 - 8 feet high.Slows are usually hard and about 1/2" dia whereas Billberries are about !/4" and squishy like blackcurrants.

 

[W0lf]

Thanks marcus2! That explains it perfectly. Sloe berries it is and sloe gin is on it's way!! ;-)

 

[badgeringtim]

Sloes have spikes that can take out your eyes/ears/ feature of your choice, bilberrys are nice non spikey foliage, and nearly half the size. Sloes have a big stone in the middle and look like a small plum (but dusky blue)

 

[calibanzwei]

Eat one. If you pull a face, its a sloe

 

[marcusleftthesite]

Eat one. If you pull a face, its a sloe

Ah but so does a quince

 

[W0lf]

Eat one. If you pull a face, its a sloe

I like the simplicity!!! And I'll give it a go plus hopefully I'll be able to post a pic later for formal ID! I must admit they are found in hedges 5+ feet up but seem small like bilberries so still confused. Hopefully the taste will solve it!

 

[calibanzwei]

You'll rue the day you mistake a quince for a sloe on looks alone! Haha

 

[xylaria]

I like the simplicity!!! And I'll give it a go plus hopefully I'll be able to post a pic later for formal ID! I must admit they are found in hedges 5+ feet up but seem small like bilberries so still confused. Hopefully the taste will solve it!

Or maybe not

Cherry laural is out at the moment the fruit tastes like cherry flavoured marizipan, and is has poisonous qunatities of cyanide. Deadly nightshade looks like bilberries, so does black nighshade they are fruiting this time of year. There is also buckthorn and alder buckthorn that are purgatives. The fruit of all of these taste better than sloes.

 

[W0lf]

Or maybe not

Cherry laural is out at the moment the fruit tastes like cherry flavoured marizipan, and is has poisonous qunatities of cyanide. Deadly nightshade looks like bilberries, so does black nighshade they are fruiting this time of year. There is also buckthorn and alder buckthorn that are purgatives. The fruit of all of these taste better than sloes.

Okay - I think I photo might be order. I'll try and something posted soon!!

 

[robin wood]

We can at least tell you it aint bilberry because they finished months ago. When doing IDs it is important to look at more than the picture, what time of year does it fruit, is it a shrub or tree, what habitat does it live in? The more things that fit the more likely you are to get a positive ID. Just working from pictures may end in a bad experience.

 

[tim_n]

I've got several trees nearby with bitter fruit, look like sloes but not 100% sure - they're small about the size of a small plum and with a big stone.

Sound like sloes?

 

[Paul_B]

Also there is something that looks a bit like bilberries, is edible and has negative effects If a mate is right. He works as a scientist on fells looking at these things for some reaso in the past so he should know something like that.

Bilberies have run out. Sloes can be on rather larger shrubby trees/bushes. They have been out for a while now. OR at least south Cumbria at me Grans they have. Bit small this year though. Last year were more plum like sized.

 

[tim_n]

Been out with a collegue, they're damsons! And looking a bit manky at that!

 

[British Red]

Could well be bullace rather than damsons given your earlier description