Edible northern wild forest berries: TOP-10 rating with names and descriptions
Wild berry picking is a pleasant and interesting hobby. In addition, these fruits contain many vitamins and minerals, which are often used in dietetics and traditional medicine. They can also be used for preparing winter preparations and various dishes. So that the use of such fruits does not bring harm, it is important to learn how to collect them. This will help the rating of edible northern wild forest berries with names and descriptions.
Cranberry
Northern peoples consider cranberries the queen of berries. The plant is characterized by a stem creeping along the ground, the length of which is 20-50 centimeters. The bush is distinguished by small oval-shaped leaves and small pink flower stalks.
In the north of the country, swamp cranberries are more common. The plant has juicy red berries that contrast with dark green leaves. The fruits have a tart, sour taste and are high in vitamin C.
Cranberries grow in swampy areas and on the edges of swampy lakes. The green of the culture remains bright green until the frost. Cranberry flowering begins at the end of June and lasts 2-3 weeks. Fruit ripening occurs in September. The berries are characterized by a rounded, slightly flattened shape and a sour taste with a slight bitterness.
Blueberries
This plant comes from the taiga. Subsequently, breeders received a large number of crop varieties and adapted them to life in another area. However, the most delicious fruits are found in the northern regions. They have a honey-pine aroma.
Blueberry is a low shrub that can bloom even in low temperatures.In summer, the plant bears black fruits covered with a bluish bloom. They are small and spherical in shape. The inhabitants of the north use not only fruits, but also leaves. They are dried and brewed like tea.
This plant is found in shady, moist forests. By mid-autumn, the leaves of an adult culture acquire a brown color and fall off by winter. Blueberry blooms from May to July. Berries are harvested from mid-July to mid-August. Small round fruits have a sweet and aromatic taste. It is important to consider that blueberry juice can turn the tongue, lips and teeth blue.
Cowberry
One of the most famous northern berries is lingonberries. This small evergreen shrub can grow in grasslands, tundra, coniferous and mixed forests in the far north. Under favorable conditions, this culture can live up to 250 years. At the same time, it constantly updates the root system and shoots.Lingonberries are considered a valuable crop that is actively used in medicine.
Plant shoots rarely reach 1 meter. Mostly their size is 8-15 centimeters. Flowering of lingonberries begins in the period from late May to early June. In this case, fruit ripening occurs in August. These berries form clusters, therefore they are often popularly called northern grapes. They are distinguished by a bright red hue, which effectively contrasts with the juicy green leaves. Cowberries contain many vitamins.
The first attempts to start growing a plant date back to the eighteenth century. Currently, breeders have managed to breed a large number of varieties of garden lingonberries. The most famous include Coral, Ruby, Erntsegen.
Cloudberry
This plant is found in the north of Russia and is deservedly considered a taiga berry. The second name of the fruit is "marsh amber" . It is associated with the orange color of the berries. In appearance, cloudberries resemble raspberries, and in taste - red currants.
This perennial small shrub rarely exceeds 25 centimeters in height. The culture has a long creeping rhizome, and therefore spreads along the ground. During the flowering period, one white flower appears on thin shoots, which later turns into a berry.
Cloudberry grows in the wild, in the tundra, in peat bogs. The plant is characterized by green foliage, covered with brown spots. Cloudberry blooms in June. The berries are harvested in August. The fruits are sweet in taste, but contain slightly sour notes. Unripe cloudberries have a red tint, while ripe ones have an orange tint. The fruit looks like a composite drupe.
Vodyanika
This plant thrives in harsh climates. It is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including Greenland. Crowberry also grows in South America - in Tierra del Fuego and in the Andes. Such an atypical location is due to the movement of culture during the Ice Age.
Crowberry is a creeping shrub no more than 20 centimeters high. In this case, shoots can grow up to 1 meter. The plant mainly lives in coniferous forests, in the tundra and in swamps. At the same time, in the northern regions, flowering occurs at the end of May, and fruit ripening occurs in August.
This berry perfectly quenches thirst. But due to the low content of acids and sugars, it has a relatively bland taste. At the same time, crowberry is considered very useful. It is a good remedy for kidney and liver diseases.
Growers usually grow crowberry as an ornamental crop. So, in landscape design, varieties such as Smaragd, Bernstein, Lucia are used.
Blueberries
This plant has large dark blue fruits that can easily be confused with blueberries. They can be distinguished by the size of the bush.Blueberries grow up to 30 centimeters, while blueberries can reach 90 centimeters. Blueberries are characterized by watery flesh of a greenish tint. Berry picking can be done in different types of forests. In most cases, the plant is found in mountainous areas and on hills.
When picking blueberries, it is important to make sure that there are no wild rosemary leaves in the basket with the berries. They are considered very poisonous and can provoke fainting, dizziness, increased drowsiness. In blueberry leaves, on the contrary, there are many valuable components. They are used to make teas and infusions. Also, this product is often used in cooking.
It is important to consider that blueberries are not recommended during pregnancy and lactation. Also, it is not used in the nutrition of children under 1.5 years old. Eating berries can provoke allergic reactions.
Princess
This plant has other names. It is often called kumanika, raspberry, mamura. This perennial reaches a height of 30 centimeters. In appearance, the foliage of the princess is similar to strawberry, and the fruits resemble bone.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionBefore flowering, thin shoots appear at the ends of the stems. They form buds. The diameter of flowers with 5 petals is no more than 2 centimeters. In most cases, flower stalks are pink in color. Sometimes they are scarlet.This crop is predominantly found in humid areas near rivers and lakes. It can also be seen in wetlands and in thickets of shrubs. Flowering culture begins in mid-June and lasts for 3-4 weeks. It is recommended to collect the princess in August.
In appearance, the fruits of the princess at the same time resemble bone and blackberry. However, they are characterized by smaller sizes and a dark cherry color. The taste of the fruit differs from other berries. They have pineapple, raspberry and peach notes.
Bone
This is a herbaceous perennial that reaches a height of 30 centimeters. The shrub has 2 types of stems - short and long. Flowers and berries appear on the first variety, the second ones spread along the ground and take root without difficulty. This helps give life to new shoots.
Stones are characterized by trifoliate green leaves, which are covered with fine hairs that act as a barometer. The plant is able to predict the weather. A day before precipitation, leaf plates that roll up into a tube from drought unfold.
Culture prefers shady forest polars and mountain slopes.Blossoms begin flowering in mid-summer. At the same time, the fruits ripen in July and August. The red berries of the plant include 4-6 drupes. Visually, they look like pomegranate seeds. To taste, the fruits are something between a cherry and a pomegranate.
Raspberry
This plant grows well both in the south and in the north. Under natural conditions, raspberries live in young forests, on the banks of rivers and in swampy areas. This plant has been grown for a long time. Today there are many garden varieties of this culture. In the northern climate, growing raspberries has certain nuances that are associated with the climatic conditions of the region.
For cultivation, special varieties of plants are used, which are characterized by precocity and are resistant to frost. Remontant varieties develop well in the north. They are able to grow even on annual shoots and produce crops before the onset of cold weather.This group includes such varieties as Eurasia, Hercules, Little Humpbacked Horse.
Blackberry
Other names for blackberries include dereza, dubrovka, zhevina. The plant is found in the south and in the middle part of the country. It also lives in the Caucasus. This culture is a thorny shrub up to 3 meters in size. Blackberries are characterized by green foliage and woody stems. During the flowering period, the correct flowers of pink or white color appear on the plant, which form brushes.
During the fruiting period, black and shiny berries appear on the bushes, resembling raspberries. At the same time, they are characterized by a more sour taste with tart notes. Harvest ripens in August-September.
Blackberry contains a lot of vitamins C, E, K. It is also rich in manganese, potassium and magnesium. The use of this product improves metabolic processes and helps to strengthen the immune system.Blackberries also contain polyphenols that prevent the formation of malignant tumors. In addition, they make it possible to prevent the appearance of all kinds of mutations.
There are a lot of different wild berries that grow naturally. In order not to be mistaken with the choice of fruits, it is important to understand their appearance and the characteristics of the effect on the body. This will help avoid poisoning and other negative he alth effects.
