Berry picking. Berry calendar of forest and garden berries. How to collect, what and when berries can be collected

Wild berries are nature's generous gifts - a variety of aromas, tastes and colors! Nowadays, any berries can be bought in the store at any time of the year, but their taste and aroma are not at all the same as those of freshly picked wild berries. The beneficial properties of such berries also differ; forest berries contain more vitamins! Don't miss the summer season of ripening wild berries, take note of the calendar of flowering and ripening of berries, and you will always know when to pick berries in the summer. Below is a brief description of the berries and the beneficial properties of the berries are described. Berries are important in human nutrition. Berries are of particular value as a source of vitamins and organic acids, which play an important role in human life, increasing the vitality of the body, its physical and mental performance and resistance to various diseases. How to use the beneficial properties of berries to improve your health.

Cowberry

Why it is useful: The berry is useful because it contains a large amount of vitamins, bioflavonoids, and organic acids.

When to pick: The lingonberry picking season begins in August-September. This late berry has a sour taste with a slight bitterness, which completely disappears after frost. Therefore, lingonberries are harvested until the end of November.

One of the remarkable components of lingonberries is benzoic acid. Thanks to it, the harvest is stored fresh for a month, and sometimes more. Berries are useful for high blood pressure, reduce temperature, suppress the development of bacteria, remove toxins, and improve the condition of respiratory and colds. They can be used for kidney diseases; lingonberry fruit drinks, which have a diuretic and anti-inflammatory effect, are especially good in this case.

Methods for picking cherries

You can harvest the crop manually, using various devices, as well as using mechanics. Depending on the further use of the cherry, it is picked with the petiole, with part of the stalk, or without the petiole. The latter method is used only if the fruits are immediately canned, since they cannot be stored for more than a day without loss.

Manual cleaning and homemade devices

In garden plots, cherries are usually picked by hand. There are not many trees in private households, so you can harvest it slowly, choosing the ripest berries. If the plantings are tall, use ladders. For ease of collection, gardeners use various homemade devices.

From a plastic tube

For this collection method, a not very narrow, but not a wide tube is selected, which must be cut obliquely on one side. An incision is made in the protruding part, then the horns are bent inward, forming a hook. This is easy to do by holding the pipe over the fire. The other end of the tube is also heated, a socket is formed, and placed on the bottle. During harvest, a cherry bag will be placed over it.

See also

Description and pollinators of the Vladimirskaya cherry variety, planting and care

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From a plastic bottle

To use this method, cut a 5-liter plastic bottle in half and use the bottom half. The bottom of the container is drilled, a light stick is inserted into it so that its top coincides with the top edge of the bottle. The diameter of the hole should match the diameter of the neck of a 1.5-liter container, which is also cut in half.

The upper part of the 1.5-liter bottle is threaded through a stick and placed in the center of the first container with the neck up. A comb device is made from thick wire, which is attached to the top of the stick with self-tapping screws. The device is placed under the branches of a tree, and the fruits are picked, which fall into the bottle.

From a fishing net

This device is convenient for picking ripe cherries. To make it, you need to bend the wire rim so that it is perpendicular to the handle. When a gardener runs a fishing net over branches with cherries, the fruits easily fall into it.

Mechanical assembly

Using mechanical means, the crop is harvested over large areas where trees grow in even rows at a distance of at least 2.2 meters from each other and 4 meters between rows. For automated harvesting, varieties are grown in which the stalk easily detaches from the berry. The harvesting technology is carried out as follows: the tree is mechanically shaken off or passed between 2 drums with plastic whiskers, knocking down the fruits.

Important! Stop watering 2 weeks before harvest. This is necessary so that the cherries are not watery.

Crowberry

Why it is useful: Another name for crowberry is crowberry or crowberry. The berry strengthens the immune system and is useful for high blood pressure and metabolic disorders. It has antiseptic and wound-healing properties, relieves inflammation and spasms. Crowberry is also rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Another advantage of the berries is their ease of storage; just fill them with water and put them in the basement, so they will last until the next harvest.

When to pick: The berries grow in the tundra beyond the Arctic Circle, ripen in August, and are collected until late autumn, until frost sets in. Even in winter, the leaves of the crowberry bushes do not fall, but after cold weather they acquire a purple-black color.

What is undesirable about untimely harvesting?

Harvest gradually, since the fruits ripen unevenly on the tree. Ripe cherries quickly become prey for birds, so they should not be left on the planting. Unripe berries are not picked because they do not ripen in boxes. After lying for several days, they will not acquire color or taste, but will begin to rot.

It is better to store cherries in breathable containers: wicker baskets, cardboard boxes, small wooden boxes.

Blueberry

Why it is useful: The berry is incredibly useful: it removes toxins, strengthens vascular walls, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and the condition of the neurons of the brain. It prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels, reduces pressure and relieves inflammation. Blueberries are useful for hypertension, atherosclerosis, vascular diseases and diabetes, as they reduce blood sugar levels and promote tissue repair.

When to pick: Wild blueberries ripen late - until September.

White currant

It is more difficult to determine the ripeness of white currants than black or red ones. When unripe, it has a greener color. When ripe, white currants become yellowish, even honey-yellow, depending on the variety. The berry becomes larger and translucent.

Strawberries

Why it is useful: It is the record holder among wild berries for the content of iron, vitamin E, folic acid and calcium. Strawberries also contain organic acids, pectins, vitamins, mineral compounds and fiber. It helps normalize digestion, increases strength, helps treat anemia, normalizes metabolism, removes toxins and excess cholesterol. For the winter, strawberries are stored dried or frozen, and jam is also made.

When to pick: Strawberries begin to ripen in June; in the northern regions, the berries can be picked in July-August.

Edible wild berries

In the forests of Russia there are a huge variety of berries suitable for consumption. They are very useful due to the content of macro-, microelements and vitamins. Collection begins from June until late autumn, until the first snow falls.

Wild strawberry

Strawberries grow in the European part of the country, Western and Eastern Siberia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The height reaches 15 cm. On a short stem, elongated red fruits hang almost to the ground. The leaves are trifoliate, dark green.

Wild strawberry is a wild berry that grows in clearings and forest edges.

It blooms from May to July with white inflorescences. The collection season begins at the end of June.

Strawberries contain a lot of sugar, organic acids and fiber, iron salts, phosphorus, calcium, B vitamins, carotene, ascorbic and folic acid. Eating fresh berries helps normalize digestion and eliminate inflammatory and ulcerative processes. It is used for diseases of the genitourinary system, cholelithiasis, diabetes, and diseases of the digestive system.

Wild raspberry

Raspberries grow in forests and clearings. A thorny shrub up to 2.5 m in height bears fruit in early August. The berries are bright red in color and have a sweet or sour taste, which varies depending on how much sun the bush has received.

In addition to its rich aroma, raspberries are rich in healing properties: not only the fruits, but also the stems, leaves and roots can be used. Most often it is used for colds or skin inflammations.

Wild raspberry is a berry with excellent taste.

Blueberry

Also known as chernega, chernets or blueberry. It grows in the northern and middle parts of the country, in the Caucasus and throughout Siberia.

It is a low-growing shrub up to 30 cm in height with ovate, pointed light green leaves. The black, blue-tinged berry has the shape of a ball no larger than a pea. Blueberries bloom in May and June, and harvesting begins in July and August.

Blueberries are a sweet wild berry that has not only a pleasant taste, but also beneficial properties.

The fruits contain organic acids, sugar, carotene, vitamin C and group B. They help improve vision, strengthen capillaries and reduce blood sugar. The main beneficial property of blueberries is considered to be the presence of many antioxidants that help prevent cancer.

Edible honeysuckle

Edible honeysuckle is an erect or creeping shrub with entire leaves. There are more than 100 species, but only 14 of them grow in central Russia.

Honeysuckle is a shrub with edible fruits that have juicy taste and medicinal properties.

White, pinkish, yellowish or blue large flowers are located at the ends of the branches. The emerging berries are grouped in pairs, sometimes merging with each other.

Flowering occurs from late May to mid-June.

Mountain ash

Rowan has large leaves and many white flowers. The spherical berries are bright red in color with small seeds. Rowan berries are harvested from late October to early November.

Rowan contains a large amount of ascorbic acid and carotene. In addition, it is rich in fat-soluble vitamins P, A, E, K, PP and B. It is known for its huge content of flavonoids and free amino acids.

It has a choleretic and laxative effect, reduces cholesterol levels in the blood and has a general strengthening effect on the whole body. A large amount of iodine will help in the treatment of thyroid diseases.

Common mountain ash is one of the most common trees in coniferous and mixed forests.

Rowan chokeberry

Chokeberry, or chokeberry, is a shrub or tree up to 1.5 m. It is found in forests and swamps, on dry and rocky soil. The sweet, tart berries are harvested in the fall.

The fruit contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, vitamins C, B3, B2 and A. All this contributes to the treatment and prevention of hypertension and atherosclerosis, gastritis and high cholesterol. Pectin substances help remove heavy metals and radioactive substances from the body.

According to recent studies, eating rowan improves liver function, strengthens the immune system and stabilizes the endocrine system.

Chokeberry is a medicinal shrub whose berries have good nutritional qualities.

Buckthorn

The shrub or tree grows up to 3-4.5 m and is found throughout the country. From small greenish flowers appear black drupes with two to four seeds.

The berries are consumed as an infusion or liquid extract as a mild laxative.

Buckthorn fruits have a pronounced laxative effect

Wild strawberry

Also called meadow strawberry. However, these berries are denser and more spherical, and their color is paler. In addition, the stalks are difficult to separate from the fruit, so strawberries are often boiled or dried with them.

Wild strawberries grow on slopes, forest edges and meadows. Ripens at the same time as strawberries.

Wild strawberries - a healthy and tasty berry

Cranberry

An evergreen shrub up to 30 cm high grows throughout Russia, even in the Far East. The round berries, 8-12 mm in size, have a bright red hue and ripen in September-October. You can also find cranberries in early spring, when the snow melts.

Cranberries are rich in sugars, organic acids, trace elements and vitamins, for example, vitamins B, PP and C can be found in it. It normalizes digestion, the proportion of cholesterol in the blood and blood pressure, and has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Cranberries grow in forested areas in swamps

Barberry

You can find barberry (caramel tree) in the northern part of the country, in Southern and Central Europe, Crimea and the Caucasus.

These are evergreen shrubs with thin, erect shoots. The leaves are ovoid, and from the flowers in the racemes spherical black or red berries are formed, about 1 cm in size. Only ripe fruits should be consumed, since still green berries are extremely poisonous.

Barberry contains many carotenoids, carbohydrates, organic acids, macro- and microelements. In addition, all parts of barberry contain a huge amount of vitamins E, C and K.

Bright barberry berries are hard to miss among the forest greenery

Barberry tincture is used for bleeding and inflammatory processes, as an antipyretic and antimicrobial agent. The juice removes toxins and cleanses the body in cases of liver disease, rheumatism and inflammation of the bladder and kidneys.

Hawthorn

It is especially common in Central Europe. It has split leaves and branches with thorns. Rosaceous white flowers reach 1.5 cm in diameter. The fruits are drupes up to 4 cm, similar to rowan, but differing in aroma and taste. They appear in the fall and are red, yellow or orange in color.

Hawthorn is a useful plant whose fruits are edible and tasty.

Hawthorn contains a large number of polyphenols, the use of which helps prevent cancer, type 2 diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, hawthorn has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Common lingonberry

Also known as boletus, heartwood or boletus. Grows in Northern and Central Russia, the Urals, the Caucasus and Siberia. This evergreen shrub grows up to 15 cm, with white or pinkish flowers. They bloom in May and June, and bright red berries appear in August-September.

Lingonberries are known for their content of carbohydrates, organic acids, pectins, potassium, calcium, magnesium, carotenoids and vitamins A, C and E. A decoction of the leaves has a tonic, wound-healing and antipyretic effect. It is also used for rheumatism, diabetes, stomach tumors and salt deposits.

Common lingonberry is a perennial shrub that is found throughout the forest zone of Russia.

Lingonberries are used to improve visual acuity, treat cystitis, urolithiasis and osteochondrosis. It is often prescribed to combat hypertension and gastritis with a lack of acidity.

Blueberry

Also known as blueberry or dullweed. It grows in peat bogs in temperate parts of the country, and is also found on Novaya Zemlya. It is a shrub up to 1 m with round branches and obovate leaves. Black berries with a blue tinge are formed from white flowers in early August.

Blueberries are high in vitamins C, K and E, iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium and phosphorus, and contain pectin substances, organic acids and fiber. All this provides antipyretic, vascular-strengthening and anti-inflammatory medicinal properties.

Blueberries are a healthy berry with a pleasant taste.

Consumption of blueberries is indicated for the prevention of heart disease, normalization of the thyroid gland and gastrointestinal tract. It also has urinary, choleretic and antiulcer effects.

Blackberry

Other names are Dubrovka, Dereza, Zhevina or Kumanikha. It is found in the middle and southern parts of the country and in the Caucasus. It is a thorny shrub up to 3 m with woody stems and green leaves. Regular white or pink flowers are collected in brushes.

The berries are black and shiny, similar to raspberries, but have a more sour and tart taste. They ripen in August and September.

Blackberries are wild berries that grow in mountain deciduous forests and near swamps.

Blackberries are rich in vitamins E, K and C. They are rich in magnesium, potassium and manganese. Its use normalizes metabolism and improves immunity.

Polyphenols in blackberries prevent the development of cancer and various mutations.

Kalina

Found throughout the country. It has simple leaves, white flowers are collected in inflorescences, from which red, elliptical-shaped drupes then appear. They contain a lot of ascorbic, acetic acid and pectins.

Viburnum bark has hemostatic and weak diuretic properties, and also has a calming effect. The berries are used for nervous excitement, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and vascular spasms. In addition, viburnum helps with cough, hoarseness, shortness of breath, liver disease and diarrhea.

Viburnum is an unpretentious plant that grows well in natural conditions.

Stone berry

In culture it is known as stone raspberry, or stone raspberry. It grows in European Russia, the Caucasus and Siberia. This is a perennial herbaceous plant, its stems are covered with thin thorns. From the white flowers appear red or red-orange fruits with a stone, sometimes they grow together into small drupes. As a rule, they are located at the top of the shoot.

Drupes ripen in July or August, and are sometimes found in September. It is used in folk medicine, and can also be preserved or dried for the winter.

Drupe - a small shrub with small juicy fruits

Cloudberry

Also known as vahlahka, glazhevina, kumanichina or yellow raspberry. Found in Central and Southwestern Russia and Siberia. This is a perennial herbaceous plant up to 15 cm with erect stems, five-lobed leaves and white flowers.

The berry is a complex drupe, it ripens in May-June and acquires a red-orange color. It is rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, as well as vitamins C, B1, B3, PP and A. In addition, it contains a lot of protein, sugar, pectin, fiber and organic acids.

Cloudberry is a perennial plant growing in moss swamps in the forest area.

Helps prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases; cloudberry is also considered a good diuretic, helps with kidney stones, vitamin deficiency, metabolic disorders and malaria.

Sea ​​buckthorn

This shrub, reaching 6 m in height, grows in Northern and Central Europe, as well as in Siberia, Transbaikalia and the Caucasus. There are thorns on the branches, the leaves are narrow and long, and inconspicuous flowers appear in the spring.

The orange berries are very fleshy, about the size of a pea. They are rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, sodium and phosphorus. They have a huge content of vitamin C, B6, E, P and beta-carotene. It is also a rare plant product that contains all currently known omega fatty acids.

Sea buckthorn is a shrubby plant with bright orange edible fruits.

Sea buckthorn exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-stress and antibacterial properties.

Voskovnitsa

This herbaceous plant is common in the Mediterranean region and Central Asia. Its dark red bone berries are round in shape with a flat base.

Voskovnitsa is rich in iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamins A, B, C, E and PP. It has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, restorative and atherosclerotic effects, improves immunity, removes toxins, stimulates metabolism and prevents cancer.

Voskovnitsa is a dense deciduous shrub growing in the regions of Central Asia.

Bird cherry

This woody plant is found throughout the country. It grows up to 10 m, has oblong-elliptical leaves and white fragrant flowers. Black fruits then appear from them.

The berries contain many coloring substances, pectin and tannins, organic acids and sugar. Therefore, bird cherry has an antibacterial and astringent effect. A decoction of tree bark is used as a diuretic and in the treatment of heart and kidney diseases. This is a good remedy for treating colds and fever.

Bird cherry is a low tree with fruits that have medicinal properties.

Wild currant

Repis or wild currant is found on the plains of European Russia, the Caucasus and Eastern Siberia. It is a shrub with ordinary leaves. The flowers that make up the clusters produce round, medium-sized berries with a dense skin. Their color can vary from pale yellow to black.

Repis ripens in early June. Its fruits are rich in vitamin A and C, which is why wild currants are taken in the treatment of infectious and colds, including diseases of the circulatory system and gastrointestinal tract.

Wild currant leaves and berries are valued for their richness in vitamins and minerals.

Rose hip

Also known as dog rose. It is a shrub up to 2 m, growing throughout Russia in forests, ravines and fields. The branches with leaves of 5-7 oval leaves have sharp thorns. The pink flowers are large, located either singly or collected in inflorescences of three.

The bright red or orange-red fruits contain record amounts of vitamin C.

Rosehip is an evergreen shrub whose fruits have healing properties.

Black elderberry

This perennial tree or shrub up to 10 m in height is found in central Russia, as well as in the Crimea and the Caucasus. It has a gray trunk and branches, as well as small flowers of yellow-white or cream color. The black-purple berries ripen in August or September.

Elderberry is famous for its high content of vitamin C, carotene, glucose, fructose, free acids and amino acids. Eating elderberry fruits is beneficial in the treatment of hepatitis, peptic ulcers, as well as in the fight against stomach and skin cancer.

Black elderberry is a perennial medicinal plant

Black mulberry

A tree with hard, toothed leaves and small, fleshy dark purple fruits. The first berries appear in mid-July and finish ripening in late July or early August.

Contains vitamins A, groups B, E, C, K, micro- and macroelements. Mulberries are recommended for use by people with impaired heart and kidney function. Mulberry fruits have bile-, sweat- and diuretic effects and anti-inflammatory effects.

Black mulberry is a common fruit plant, unusually productive and hardy.

White mulberry

White mulberry is similar in description and properties to black mulberry. It also contains natural sugars, amino acids, organic acids, vitamins, macro- and microelements.

White mulberry strengthens the immune system and the walls of blood vessels, the heart muscle, normalizes digestion and metabolism, and also has a sedative effect.

White mulberry is used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases

Victoria

This is a perennial shrub very similar to strawberries. The berries are large in size and rich in flavor. Thanks to the content of vitamins A and C, the use of Victoria helps prevent eye diseases, cardiovascular diseases, as well as disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and water-salt balance.

Victoria is a very aromatic and tasty berry that looks like a strawberry.

Gooseberry

This is a perennial multi-stemmed shrub that grows up to 1.5 m in height and up to 2 m in diameter. Its berries contain a huge amount of vitamin C, P, A and group B. In addition, it contains many minerals and trace elements, organic acids, tannins and flavonoids.

Gooseberries are actively used for the prevention and treatment of hypertension, atherosclerosis, tumors and high cholesterol. It also has laxative, diuretic and choleretic properties.

Gooseberry is a perennial shrub whose berries have many beneficial properties.

Forest cherry

A fruit plant from the plum genus, rose family. A characteristic feature of this berry is its high content of antioxidants and organic acids, which strengthen the body and promote regeneration processes.

Cherries are rich in vitamins A, C, E, PP and group B. In addition, it contains the essential amino acid tryptophan, folic acid, pectin substances and many antioxidants. Potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and iron were also found in cherry fruits.

Forest cherry fruits are rich in nutrients and have a beneficial effect on the body.

Irga

The plant has round or oval dark green leaves and white or cream flowers. Then in July, round bluish-black or red-violet berries appear, up to 10 mm in diameter.

Serviceberry berries contain malic acid, tannins, vitamins P, C and group B, carotene, trace elements and fiber. Eating irgi helps improve vision, sleep and bowel function. It is also used for the prevention of vitamin deficiencies, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.

Irga is a berry bush with edible, tasty and healthy fruits.

Persimmon

It is an evergreen shrub or tree with fleshy, leathery orange fruits. Persimmon is a source of glucose and fructose, vitamins A and C. In addition, this berry contains proteins, tannin, protein, tannins and pectic substances and organic acids.

Used in folk medicine to treat diseases of the stomach and vision, as well as to restore bones and mucous membranes.

Persimmon fruits contain a wide range of substances with antioxidant properties.

Mahonia holly

An evergreen shrub with oblong blue-black berries with a sweet and sour taste. In folk medicine it is used in the treatment of diarrhea, dyspepsia, gout, rheumatism, kidney, liver and gall bladder diseases. Sometimes mahonia berries are used to prevent skin diseases.

Mahonia holly is a small compact plant known for many beneficial properties.

Boysenberry

The plant has dark red berries up to 3 cm in length. The skin is thin, the pulp is very juicy. Rich in vitamins and microelements, calcium, sodium and magnesium. Boysenberries can be used to normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and immune systems. Its use is a prevention of cancer and respiratory diseases.

Boysenberry is a hybrid variety with a number of positive characteristics.

Emleria

The fruits of this plant are juicy drupes up to 2.5 cm in diameter. Ripe berries in August acquire a blue-black hue. A decoction of emleria bark is used as a laxative and tonic. The berries are effective in treating tuberculosis and restoring the body's immune system.

Emleria berries help increase the body's defenses

Goji

It is a perennial shrub with slender thorns and lilac or purple flowers. When the berries ripen, they acquire an oblong shape and a bright red hue. Rich in useful substances such as vitamins C and B, phosphorus, zinc, iron, copper, selenium, calcium, antioxidants and many others.

Eating Goji berries helps fight cancer cells, strengthens the immune system and prolongs life. They are also used in the treatment of diseases of the kidneys, liver and reproductive system, high sugar levels and prolonged insomnia.

Goji berries have a beneficial effect on the body and are a source of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins

There is an opinion that these fruits can prevent Alzheimer's disease and diabetes, normalize the functioning of the nervous system, hormonal balance and melatonin levels in the body.

Cranberry

Why it is useful: Its sour fruits are saturated with antioxidants, rich in potassium and vitamin C. Cranberry is a natural antibiotic, has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, and is recommended for kidney and urinary tract diseases, colds and infectious diseases. It also contains substances that prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots on the walls of blood vessels. The berry is also useful for varicose veins, because it improves elasticity and increases the strength of venous walls. It stays fresh for a long time, as it is rich in benzoic acid, a natural preservative.

When to pick: Cranberries ripen in September and are harvested until the end of autumn.

Ripening time

It is quite difficult to say exactly when currants ripen. This depends on many factors - on the growing region, on the characteristics of the variety, on weather conditions, on how the plant is cared for. Currant bushes like moist soil, but do not grow in swampy areas.

The period when the harvest begins can be approximately determined by flowering. Thus, from the appearance of flowers to the ripening of the berries, an average of 45 days pass. Depending on the weather, this period can either increase or decrease.

The ripeness of the berry is significantly affected by the presence of sufficient moisture. If you plant the bush near a source of moisture, this will further stimulate ripening.

In addition, there are features of the proximity of plants. So, red currant gets along well with all plants except black currant. Plus she loves open space.

For example, in a hot summer, with sufficient watering, the harvest date may be 5-10 days earlier than average. Conversely, in cloudy and cool summers the berries will ripen later.

In addition, white currants ripen faster than black currants. The ripeness of a berry is mainly determined by its appearance and taste. The larger the berry, the more likely it is that it is already ripe.

Prince

Why it is useful: Knyazhenika is useful almost in the same way as raspberries, it is used as an antipyretic, useful for sore throats and diseases of the upper respiratory tract. Not only the berries of the plant are edible, but also the leaves, which are used to prepare infusions that taste like fruit tea.

When to collect: The season of princesses begins in July-August; this berry has a pleasant taste - sweet, but with a sour note, as well as a wonderful aroma, similar to the smell of pineapple and peach.

Poisonous wild berries

Before you go picking berries, you need to study not only the edible types, but also those whose consumption can pose a threat to human life and health.

May lily of the valley

Herbaceous perennial plant reaching 30 cm in height. White flowers appear from May to June, followed by orange-red fruits up to 8 mm in diameter. This occurs from June to July. Despite the beauty of the berries, they are incredibly toxic.

May lily of the valley is a perennial plant that is very poisonous and can cause serious poisoning.

Maiden grape five-leaf

A large vine with shoots up to 3-4 meters, densely packed with 5-lobed leaves. In early July it is covered with white flowers, collected in umbels of 3-5 pieces. These then produce bunches of grapes that are blue-black when ripe.

Five-leaved maiden vine is a deciduous vine with inedible fruits

Nightshade bittersweet

Also known as privet berry or viper grass. It is a subshrub with thin stems and red oblong berries. Eating the fruits of this plant causes severe rashes and irritation, and if an allergic reaction occurs, it can be fatal.

Bittersweet nightshade is a toxic plant that can cause poisoning

Nightshade black

Other names are crowberry or witch berry. This is a herbaceous plant with black shiny berries formed in clusters. Both unripe and ripe berries can cause harm to health.

Black nightshade is an evergreen shrub whose berries contain a poisonous alkaloid, solanidine.

Belladonna

Also known as belladonna or mad cherry. This is a herbaceous plant with shiny, flattened yellow or blue-black berries. It has a long stem up to 90 cm in length and large leaves. The berries are very poisonous, especially for children: dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, dilated pupils, followed by loss of consciousness, fever, blue mucous membranes and death.

Belladonna is a perennial, very poisonous plant.

Kupena fragrant

Other names are kokornik, Solomon's seal or wolf berries. This is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows up to 50 cm. It has an erect stem with elliptical leaves. From May to June, white fragrant flowers produce blue-black berries with a bloom of up to 12 mm. They are also extremely poisonous.

Kupena fragrant is a herbaceous poisonous perennial with high medicinal properties.

Buckthorn brittle

Sometimes called a korushatnik or medvizhnaya. This shrub up to 4.5 m in height is found throughout the country on fertile soil in the shade of tall trees. Poisonous blue-black spherical fruits with a diameter of up to 10 mm.

Buckthorn is a berry plant whose fruits have a laxative effect.

Forest honeysuckle

Tatar or Caucasian honeysuckle should be distinguished from the few types of edible honeysuckle. They are typically red, black or orange in color and round in shape.

Forest honeysuckle is a shrub that grows in coniferous and mixed forests

Wolf's Bast

Other names are wolfberry or badman. It is a shrub with bright red berries that emerge from small flowers similar to lilacs. The fruits are extremely dangerous for humans; you should not even touch them.

Wolf's bast is a plant famous for its poisonous properties.

Red-fruited crow

This is a herbaceous plant with clusters of large red or black oval berries. When consumed, they cause nausea, vomiting, hallucinations and convulsions.

Red-fruited crowberry is a perennial plant with toxic berries.

Snowberry white

The plant grows on rocky, calcareous soils in partial shade. They have poisonous large white berries.

White snowberry - a poisonous shrub with beautiful white fruits

Spotted arum

Also known as calf's foot, aron, or snake grass. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with hemispherical leaves and bright red berries. Very poisonous, when consumed it causes disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, arrhythmia, convulsions and hallucinations.

Spotted arum is a perennial plant with variegated leaves.

Phytolacca americana

Another name is red ink plant. It is a herbaceous perennial with a branched stem up to 4 m high. The leaves are oval and large, small white flowers are collected in a tassel-shaped inflorescence. From them dark purple berries up to 8 mm in diameter then appear.

Phytolacca americana is a berry perennial with poisonous fruits.

Phytolacca fruits are poisonous; even contact with the juice can cause an allergic reaction.

Euonymus

It is an evergreen shrub with smooth leaves. It blooms with pale greenish or brownish small flowers, collected in inflorescences of 4-5 pieces. Afterwards, poisonous berries appear from them - reddish dry pear-shaped boxes.

Euonymus is a picturesque evergreen plant with small flowers.

Voronets spica

Also known as stink grass or Christophorus grass. It is a herbaceous perennial that grows up to 60 cm in height. It has an erect, branched stem and jagged, ovate-shaped leaves. Small flowers form inflorescences in May or June.

In July or August, succulent black leaflets appear. They are inedible, and after consumption all the signs of food poisoning appear.

Voronets spica - a plant that has an unpleasant odor and high toxicity

Elderberry herbal

It is a perennial herbaceous plant up to 150 cm in height. It has an erect thick stem and compound leaves consisting of 9-11 leaflets with serrated edges. It blooms with white, pink or red paniculate inflorescences from May to July.

Elderberry is a perennial shrub with white, red or bluish-black clusters.

The shiny, spherical fruits look like black drupes, about 4 mm in length. They appear from August to September.

Swamp whitewing

Also known as swamp calla. This plant has thick glossy leaves, bright flowers and beautiful red berries. It is toxic; if the juice of the berries gets on the skin, severe irritation occurs.

Swamp whitewing is a poisonous plant that grows in wetlands.

Lakonos or Phytolacca americana

An herbaceous perennial growing up to 3 m, with several smooth reddish-green stems and ovate, pointed leaves. The white flowers are very small; they appear in June-August and are located at the ends of the shoots and form inflorescences.

Lakonos, or American phytolacca, is a large perennial plant with powerful shoots.

Signs of poisoning by this plant are vomiting, convulsions, headache, speech impairment, paralysis and death.

Yew berry

Also known as greenwood, greenwood, or mahogany. It is a very beautiful tree with reddish-brown bark and shoots. In April, green flowers form, from which pink or yellow berries appear in the fall. However, all parts of the tree, with the exception of the seedlings, contain poison.

Yew berry is notable for its beauty, durability and toxicity.

Common privet

Another name is wolfberry. It is a tree or shrub up to 5 m high with round black fruits. The berries contain the substance solanine, which has a strong toxic effect on the human body.

Common privet is a poisonous plant due to its solanine content.

Crow's eye

Other names include cuckoo tears and bear berry. These are large, round black berries that are very similar to blueberries. The fruits of the crow's eye are located one at a time at the ends of the shoots. Another distinctive feature is the presence of wide oval leaves, usually 4 or 5 pieces.

Crow's eye is a short plant with berries similar to blueberries or blueberries.

Not only the berries, but also other parts of this plant are poisonous to humans.

Stone berry

Why it is useful: Drupes contain a lot of vitamin C, organic acids, pectin and tannins; it is used as a remedy for vitamin deficiency, anemia, metabolic disorders, cystitis, and colds. The berry strengthens the walls of blood vessels and helps remove toxins from the body. In addition, it has a pronounced antipyretic effect and is recommended for colds.

When to pick: The berry ripens in July-August, the picking season lasts until the end of September.

Krasnika

Why it is useful: Redberry berries and juice lower blood pressure, they are rich in vitamin P, which dilates blood vessels and strengthens their walls. In addition, redberry contains vitamin C, organic acids, essential amino acids, fiber, and minerals. It is useful for colds and infections, to improve digestion. The young leaves of the plant are also eaten.

When to pick: Krasnika is a northern berry that grows in Kamchatka and Sakhalin; it is harvested in August-September. It has a peculiar taste: at first it is sweet, then it becomes sour, and at the end it acquires a bitterness.

Cloudberry

Why it is useful: Cloudberry in Russia was considered a royal berry. And for good reason - this berry contains three times more vitamin C than oranges, it surpasses carrots in vitamin A content, and also contains tocopherols. Thanks to its composition, the berry is a powerful antioxidant, strengthens the immune system, protects cells from free radicals and promotes their rejuvenation. Cloudberries also contain a lot of potassium, which improves the condition of the cardiovascular system. The berry is a valuable source of vitamins and microelements, especially useful for weakened patients.

When to collect: Cloudberries bloom in early summer and are harvested in July-August.

Where to collect in the Moscow region?

What time does it appear and keep up?

In the Moscow region, blueberries are considered perhaps the most common wild berry. Typically, blueberry harvesting in the Moscow region begins in mid-July. Peak yield occurs in the first half of August.

The forests of the following areas are especially rich:

• Klinsky;
• Sergiev Posad;
• Taldomsky;
• Orekhovo-Zuevsky.

There are also attractive meadows in the famous Meshcherskaya lowland, Paustovsky wrote about this. The local blueberries have a special brilliant color.

Which forest can you go to?

Traditionally, blueberries in the Moscow region grow in swamps and coniferous forests. However, it is in this area that the berries can also be collected in birch forests. There are many blueberry bushes in the floodplain of the Dubna River. This berry is especially juicy and rich in vitamins. Less productive bushes can be found in the Moscow region simply in the lowlands.

Blueberry

Why it is useful: This medicinal berry is rich in vitamins and minerals, it improves tone, stimulates metabolic processes, and relieves inflammation. The most important property of blueberries is its antioxidant effect. It contains lutein, which has a beneficial effect on the visual apparatus, flavonoids, which improve the condition of nervous tissue, anthocyanidins, and rejuvenating cells. Blueberries are recommended for the prevention of age-related blindness, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

When to Harvest: Blueberries are harvested from July to September.

Raspberries

Why it is useful: Berries are rich in organic acids, vitamin C, and minerals. It is also rich in salicylic acid, which reduces fever and has an antimicrobial effect. It’s not for nothing that raspberry fruit drinks and raspberry jam are considered one of the best cold remedies. For the winter, the berries can be frozen, dried, or made into jam, jam or compote.

When to pick: Raspberries are harvested in August.

Tell me how to make cranberry juice?

To get a liter of fruit drink, you will need 800 ml of boiling water, 125 g of cranberries and 3 tbsp. spoons of honey or granulated sugar. Wash the berries and mash them with a wooden masher. Then put the cranberry mass in cheesecloth, folded in several layers, and use it to squeeze out the juice. Pour hot water over the cake, boil for 5-10 minutes and strain through a strainer or cheesecloth. Mix the resulting broth with the prepared juice, add honey or sugar and cool it. That's all - the delicious drink is ready! Just don’t forget that the dishes for cranberry juice should be enamel, glass or stainless steel. Aluminum pans can oxidize and make a healthy drink harmful.

Lisa Chernikina

Andrey Shalygin PhD, DBA, Editor-in-Chief of National Explorer