These fairly tall shrubs/trees grow on our street wild and have beautiful berries. Anyone know what they are?
Wild berry ID?
I believe they are Elderberries. My grandmother used to make Elderberry wine.
Did you see the flowers in the spring/summer? That would clinch it for Elderberry since they are fairly distinctive. Only other possibility - if they are really tall - is Carolina Cherry Laurel - a real pest of a tree because it makes a gazillion seedlings. That said, I think Ardesia is correct.
Deb
Thanks, Ardesia and Deb. I did not see the flowers in spring/summer. Googled elderberries and it says they are good for cookiing, but also easily mistaken for another toxic berry.
Putting a note on my Google calendar to check out the flowers next spring.
(I grew up picking chokecherries in Wyoming and am wondering if they are similar - tart and seedy but strong and delicious).
Entlie
Elderberry blooms will have a nice lovely vanilla like scent. It can get extremely large (the first photo is after I hacked it back to 6 feet last year - it is now about 10 to 12 feet)
Second photo are the berries ripening (they will be blackish when fully ripe). Thousands of little berries that will all go to seed - be ready to hoe or spray to keep them under control.
The scent of the blooms has a very nice aroma and the blooms go on for a few weeks in early summer.
The last photo shows ripened berries from two years ago.
Good Info - thanks!
Entlie
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