This is growing in my backyard-it's coming up with red berries that look like raspberries. Please help! I would like to also know if they are edible!
Well, if it is actually a Wineberry then yes it is. But I am not confident enough in my abilities to tell you to go out and eat them just yet. I would either wait for confirmation from someone here or take a cutting to your local college that has a horticulture department or local outreach program. They will be able to tell you right away.
Not only does it look like a wineberry but there are pretty much no Rubus that would present poisonous fruits anyway. What varies is flavor, seediness and succulence.
just out of curiousity-do you have any idea how they might have gotten to the back of my house? I am the first to live here in hundreds of years-it was just woods before I moved in-and as you probably saw from the picture-I still have about an acre and a half of woods!!
I live in Massachusetts-so I would say that it has gone wild here! Thank you all! I tried them-DELICIOUS.
FYI wineberry is considered invasive in our area. It's also on the Mass Prohibited plant list. http://www.mass.gov/agr/farmproducts/prohibitedplantlist.htm http://www.eddmaps.org/ipane/ipanespecies/shrubs/Rubus_phoenicolasius.htm
well- there are two responses to your post. While I DO appreciate you letting me know this-I do want to emphasize-I had nothing to do with getting it in my backyard. Second-there is a simple fix. I read that the japanese wineberry plant can be calmed down simply by planting a wild black raspberry plant next to it-which I ALSO have in my backyard. I will have to do this at the end of the season so that the japanese wineberry bush doesn't take over everything. This is a wetland area-therefore we are not ALLOWED to use any type of pesticides or chemicals-nor would I WANT to. I will have to use the method that was most beneficial to the environment. Also-become it IS wetlands-the state can't touch it either-so getting a safe solution is the most beneficial to all.
I just want to clarify - there are several invasive/MA prohibited plants that are common and widespread. It is not prohibited to have them on your property (you just can't sell, trade, propagate or transport them across state lines). In fact, it can be hard to get rid of them! (especially if there's a seed source nearby). (I have been battling oriental bittersweet and goutweed in my yard for years and may never get rid of them!). I wanted to let you know wineberry is invasive so you would be weary of it and not try to cultivate it or give clippings to your neighbors! Regards, Susan
I DO appreciate that-thank you. But I can't cut anything off of wetlands...not that I would give clippings to anyone-but-I couldn't regardless. I am GLAD though that I now know it can be invasive-I'll plant the wild black raspberries end of season and that should take care of it-they can co-exist together without the wineberries overtaking it. Thank you again. In the interim-the berries are delicious-so my plans are to enjoy their fruit! :-)
