I might have asked this before but does anyone use wild berries. I have wild Current, Goose berry, Choke Cherry, June Berry, and Plums and they are looking very full with blossoms this spring. I use the fruit and harvest them when they are ready. Most of the fruit is frozen for winter use. A lot of them I give some care to now in hopes for a better harvest.

Mulberries are ripe here as are the first dewberries. Blackberry is a couple weeks away.

The wife and I pick a gallon or two of huckleberries per year to make low sugar preserves.

Warrior, as a kid in the White River area of eastern Arkansas dewberries were my favorite. I never did care much for blackberries. Also, I spent considerable time in a small tree eating muscadines. I like Idaho but miss the pecans, hickory nuts, peaches, muscadines, and dewberries of the deep south. I do not miss the cottonmouths.

worked on raspberries and strawberries this mornin.

The first fruits off our everbearing strawberries that survived the winter are nearly ripe, still got a touch of green in them.

Berries are coming along but wont be ready yet, in this high country.

Mountains all over are full of developing huckleberries, low and high bush types.

Service berries, or Saskatoon , are flowering now....gooseberries, elderberry, wild strawberries, thimbleberry, chokecherry, blackberry, Oregon grapes, all are still in the forming stages.

had blossoms on my first 20 trees planted 3 yrs ago,sweet black cherries,pears,peaches and plums-2 each,and 12 apple's.24 more apple trees that should begin next spring.will still have lotsa apples this year from the 2 dozen that were here and have been pruned back from their going wild state.peas onions garlic and taters are all doing great in the regular garden.maters and cukes will be in before sat. night and the next big rain.

It looks like it will be a decent fruit year. I have black raspberries, elderberries, mulberries, crab apples, grapes, black berries and sour cherries, that grow wild. I planted peaches, nectarines, pears, grapes, plums, red raspberries and pears. Everything, but the black berries has at least started flowering.

Keith

Crab apples are nuts this year,pollinators are going full force!

My peach trees are loaded with peaches this year. Will have to see how many are left after the drop.

Sharon >>> the Service/Saskatoon berry is what we call June berry but still the same type of berry. I have some along a creek but the birds get beat me to most of them first. I really like the Service berry. The Black Currents I pick wash and freeze and use them all winter long. There is a lot of health valve and benefits in thee fruits. Like you said it will be a while a while till anything can be picked.

I have wild blueberries on my property 3 hrs north of me. The difference in size between them and cultivated ones I have in my home is astounding. I would hate to be stuck in the woods with nothing to eat but blueberries the size of peas.
On a separate note, I added a Titan blueberry to my yard this year. It had some berries on it when I got it, so it'll be interesting to see if they really do average the size of a nickle...

^ >>>> I understand the difference in size and quantity from wild to back yard garden variety. The wild will be smaller/less but prefer taking what nature gives us.

Snowy, Service berry makes great jam . I even like eating them right off the shrubs if the water content has them full enough ! Birds love them- like ruffed grouse . I have always cleared around those shrubs along with snow berries and elder berry shrubs to encourage grouse and other birds. If I wait till they are dark Indigo in ripeness, they have a nice sweet mealy taste to them.

I don't know if there are black current berries in the NW here....but I sure love seeing all the wild berries to enjoy wherever I go.

Good idea you have- to be able to pick enough of the kinds wanted to freeze and enjoy all winter. I like doing that with huckleberries , along with dried morels.

^ yes they do make great jam. I love eating them right from the shrubs too. You are right the birds know exactly when they are ready to eat. LOL

Blackberry blooms are dying now, blueberries are forming. Higher elevations are later.

Dewberries and a few blackberries are in. Coyote scat full of seeds from them and we're killin the mess out of coyotes on fruit base lures and baits right now.