I've searched all throughout my "edible plants" book as well as this forum. What are these? they're kind of orange-yellow and soft inside. My first thought was chokeberry, but I've had chokeberry before and they are clumped and red inside...What are these and are they edible? Help!
Look like Gaultheria shallon (Salal). Your sample has smaller leaves and berries than most wild plants in the soggy Pacific Northwest, but the shape and texture of leaves & berries are a perfect match. The berries are edible and not unpleasant tasting, but rather mealy and not particularly juicy or exciting. They are very high in pectin so could be combined with a low pectin fruit to make jelly. The leaves are commonly used as filler greenery by florists.
Cotoneaster bullatus or close relative (numerous similar microspecies of Cotoneaster) Not poisonous, but not really edible either, rather dry, bitter and astringent. You could try making a bitter jam or jelly with them similar to rowan jelly (a traditional accompaniment to venison and similar meats), but I'd doubt it is really worth it. If you do, wait until the berries are ripe (September-October).
Non of the above posts are correct. Detailed searches show different fruits than the one 05 is looking for. We have picked the same berries as pictured and although they are not really juicy, they make a great tasting syrup or jam. We have tried looking at Service berry, skatoon, and elder berries also. None of them match. If you find out what it really is, please post!
You've already found out what it is: it's a cotoneaster. Several species are common weeds here, in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, one Seattle botanist had found and identified over 60 species coming up wild in that city some years ago.
