Our common garden berry is often overlooked these days for more exotic and unusual fruits that our supermarkets ply us with – but did you know any of the following fascinating facts about these sometimes under-rated little fruits…

1 – There are false berries and “true” berries – the definition of a true berry is “a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary”.  Hence, the misnamed hackberry is not, in fact, a real berry.  Real berries include grapes, persimmon, gooseberries and red/black/white-currants.  

2 – Tomatoes are not only a fruit, but a berry, no less.

3 – Blackcurrants are extremely high in vitamin C, as well as other essential nutrients, and count as a superfruit/food.  The highly poisonous English Ivy plant produces clusters of berries very similar in appearance to blackcurrants – do not mistake them!

4 – If you want to be nutritionally self-sufficient, growing your own berries is a great place to start – blackberries, raspberries and blueberries grow on bushes that last for years and they are easy to look after.

5 – Many of our garden plants produce berries – but a large proportion of these cause fatalities every year.  For example, Yew berries, with their bright scarlet hue, are deceptively appealing.  Elderberries make great jams and wine, but the un-ripened berries are toxic.  Holly and mistletoe berries are fun and festive, but not to be consumed!  Just because birds and other animals can eat them, does not mean we can.

6 – Berries, as well as being rich in vitamins A & C, have great medicinal properties…  Red raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, as well as containing antioxidants, can also fight some viruses and bacteria.  Raspberry fruit extracts have been shown to significantly reduce the growth of certain cancer cells.  Raspberry leaf tea can be used to heal many ailments and apparently even helps with childbirth pains!

We have the humble berry to thank for some of life’s greatest indulgences – raspberry jam, blueberry muffins, blackberry crumble and…champagne!

If you want to find out more about berries – growing your own, which varieties to grow, identifying them and much, much more, why not check out ADL’s course on Berry Production (BHT 309).  ADL also run a course on Home Fruit Growing (AHT 104).  

For more information on Horticulture and other relevant courses, please click here…
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