I’m looking for shrubs that I can subsist on (like nuts, fatty berries like hackberry, or something else) to replace an invasive Japanese Barberry.
I’m in Maine, in the northeastern USA.
Please don’t suggest hazel because some of my family is a little allergic to it.
Thank you!
oksanaetal
Highbush and lowbush blueberries and their relatives. Some native raspberries are worth eating; I can tell you Rubus odoratus isn’t worth bothering with. Ditto for some Ribes; I haven’t even tried those. Cranberries. Elderberries, I think, but research this on your own. That’s all I can think of, but I don’t do much wild foraging. Maybe look into what native Americans ate before European invasion?
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We have a lot of those, and they’re great!
As for what Natives ate (and probably still eat somewhere), I just read that chokecherry fruit leather fulfilled the purpose of staple fruit. I know it’s a small tree more than a shrub, but this suggestion is pretty good, thanks!
I know that some oaks are shrubs. What I do not know is if any of those are found in Maine.
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I like to use this site when shopping for plants. There’s no filter for edibke fruits, but you can filter by state and each product page has a range map based on county. Good info and you know it’s all natives.
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Oh thanks! I love that site too.