There are three interesting berries that are probably the easiest to identify. All of them are useful and unique in their own ways. All of them are also ready to harvest this time of year. For some reason, I really enjoy this time of year when it is cooler outside, summer canning is finished and I can begin to harvest buckets of beautiful berries.
First, there is the bay berry. Here in the south we usually call the bayberry tree a wax myrtle. It's native to the US and is the source of the famous bayberry wax candle. In other parts of the country the tree which is more of a large shrub goes by different names. Bay berry wax is some of the most expensive wax you can buy. It makes beautiful pale sage green candles that smell divine. The wax is hard and burns clean. It doesn't need added scents because the bayberry scent is perfect.
Wax myrtles look similar to a water or pin oak. The leaves are slender and seem to form a whorl. It's an evergreen so it won't lose its leaves in the fall like an oak. It is often planted in parking lots or as an ornamental at entrances to subdivisions. It is also often used as a living fence. It has tiny flowers in the spring. In the fall those flowers are gone and in their place are the waxy berries. The berries, unlike other berries, are found growing all along the INNER branches of the shrub especially at the joints. They can go unnoticed if you aren't looking for them. They are small, blue and covered with a light waxy coating. If you rub one of the tiny berries it smells strongly of bayberry. To gather the berries, just grab the branch and berries and slide your hand along the branch catching the berries in your palm. Place the berries in a container and continue until you have enough to work with.
It takes about 10-12 pounds of berries to make a pound of wax. Simply fill a pot about 1/2 full of berries. Make sure there are no leaves and stems. Add water covering the berries until the pot is about 3/4 full then place the pot on medium heat and bring up to a low and slow boil. Stir the berries occasionally to keep them from clumping and to release the wax between the berries. After about an hour remove the pot from the stove and allow it to cool overnight. In the morning there will be a sheet of green wax on the top of the water. Carefully lift it off and set it aside. I like to add some water back to the pot and reheat it because sometimes the wax gets trapped between the berries and more can be removed with a second boil. When you have enough hardened wax then it is time to melt the wax and make candles. I make candles in the small paper Dixie cups. When the wax is hardened I just peel the paper off and have a nice little candle. If you don't have enough to use alone the wax can be combined with other waxes to make candles.. The wax can also be added to home made soap.
Bayberries have been used medicinally as well. A tea can be infused from the leaves and used for fevers, colds, flu, dysentery or as a mouthwash or gargle for sore throats. It can also be used topically for insect bites, rashes and wounds. the wax myrtle tree repels insects and as a spray can be used to repel Mosquitos.
Another berry that is almost impossible to misidentify is the beautyberry. It has bright magenta colored berries in the spring and the fall. Rather than growing singularly along the branches and joints like the wax myrtle, beauty berries form clusters and look like balls of berries encircling the stems. From a distance they look like magenta golfballs with the branches growing through them. In the fall the branches shed their leaves and the berries are quite spectacular and look like no other berry I know. The berries have almost no taste and are mushy but make a pretty jelly. The Jelly is very mild in flavor. The plant is also used as an insect repellent and the leaves can be crushed and rubbed on the skin.
A tincture of beauty berry can be used for sprains and bruises. It can be taken internally to soothe an upset stomach, dysentery and cramps.
One other berry plant that bears mentioning is the pyracantha or fire thorn plant. It has bright orange or red berries that grow in large clumps on the evergreen shrub. The berry clusters usually droop downward with the weight of the berries. Like the beauty berry, the fire thorn berry is bland and mealy. They need to be mashed and cooked then strained and made into a jelly or syrup which tastes somewhat like apple jelly. The berry is the only edible portion of the plant. All other parts including seeds should not be eaten.
The firethorn plant has a dual purpose in the fact that it is covered in short tough thorns. It can be planted as a hedge or foundation plant to discourage intruders. Anyone who tangles with a firethorn plant doesn't take long to inspect it. Even when gathering berries it is best to wear thick gloves and use pruners.
So here we have three berries that are native plants and nearly impossible to misidentify. The berries of all the plants can be planted and easily grown. There are other medicinal uses and Of course, possible reactions to the plants. So do your research then give these berries a try for a new kind of survival food, medicine or home protection system.
Southern wood elf