what are these berries?

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by bctahitianfruit, Jul 15, 2006.

  1. bctahitianfruit

    bctahitianfruit Active Member

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    Location:
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    OK, I bought this plant off an elderly italian gentleman in town who has a plant sale every spring. he called it an "italian red berry bush" ok sure .. he said he makes jelly and wine with the berries so they are edible cause he ain't dead! So i have two bushes and they are now about 1 meter high(though the old guys is aprox, 2.5m and doesn't seem to be getting much bigger so I assume that is about it's max height )and they produced a few berries this year, but I would really like to know what the heck the real name for them is.
    I am a bit of a stickler for latin names of plants. that way you know exactly what you have. Any way I have pictures. The backs of the leaves and newer stems have a brown fuzzy like scale on them but in the light the backs of the older leaves look spotted silver and shiny. They are somewhat evergreen in our zone 8b climate. The flowers are very small and white, looking something like a forsythia flower, the berries are red and elongated and have the same silver spots as the underside of the leaves. the pits in the berries are just weird. you'll see in the picture i don't know how to describe them.
    So if any one out there has any idea please let me know!!! I have asked the local master gardeners but I keep forgetting to bring a sample of the plant for them to look at so they have no idea and it isn't in any book I have looked in or any web pages I have searched through.​
     

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  2. Rima

    Rima Active Member

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    Look like cherries to me (and the leaves like a prunus) but maybe someone else will know better.
     
  3. woodschmoe

    woodschmoe Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
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    Autumn olive, elaeagnus umbellata...
     
  4. bctahitianfruit

    bctahitianfruit Active Member

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    ok I will look that up and compare.. thanks for the name...toodles..
     
  5. bctahitianfruit

    bctahitianfruit Active Member

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    here is a picture to show the scale of the berrries and flower.
     

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  6. bctahitianfruit

    bctahitianfruit Active Member

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    yup that looks like what it is...autumn olive. thanks for the name . i will have to let the old guy know it is not from italy!! but from the orient. the web page says itis invasive in coneticut! huh good thing i don't live there.. hahahah,kidding
    i will keep an eye on it. it does propagate easily by cuttings. can't wait to have enough berries to make jelly!.. no actually wine sounds better..tee hee.
    thanks again
     
  7. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Agree with Elaeagnus, also called Silverberry. The fruit are edible, tho' not the best of flavours.
     
  8. bctahitianfruit

    bctahitianfruit Active Member

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    ya they are a bit like salal berries. bit tart, i imagine they would make a great jelly though. thanks again!
     

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