I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – berries are the foundation of permaculture and permaculture is the foundation of homesteading. So, I believe it is extremely important to select berry plants that are edible and native to your area, or if they are not edible, they should be useful in other ways – like for candle wax. However, you should also be aware of non-edible berries that might grow in your environment.
Some Homebuilders Landscape with Invasive Plants
I currently have dozens of Nandina, (nandina domestica) also called “sacred bamboo”, that were planted as an ornamental by the previous owner/homebuilder of my house. They are pretty, but the berries are poisonous to both humans and (other) animals. It’s also considered invasive in my area. I can say that it definitely spreads quite a bit. Non-edible berries like these can be quite dangerous.
So, I’ve decided to remove every nandina that I can find. I will replace the large ones out front of my house with elderberry plants. Unfortunately, elderberry plants are not edible without processing. However, they can be made into jams/jellies, pie, and wine. Not only that, but elderberry flowers are edible and can be fried as a snack. In addition, elderberries are super easy to harvest. The berries form in large clumps that can be snipped off the plant, kind of like grapes.
Non-edible Berries Don’t Add Value
I’ve also considered other edible berries to replace the Nandina. My first choice aesthetically was Highbush Cranberry (viburnum trilobum). It has similar red berry clusters to the nandina, and my front door is red. The nandina berries admittedly do look nice. Unfortunately, the highbush cranberry is not native to my area. It seems like it is native to some regions of Maryland, but I’m slightly outside of its range. I’d rather replace an invasive species with a native one, than just one that is non-invasive. Being aware of non-edible berries in my surroundings helps me make better planting choices.
For red berries, I’ve considered winterberry (ilex verticillata). However, it’s not edible for humans, though at least it is edible for birds. I already have a lot of American holly (ilex opaca) trees around my property, and more crop up every season. So, I think I’m good on ilex. Unless I plant a Yaupon Holly (ilex vomitoria), which produces caffeine in its leaves and twigs that I could use for tea. Yaupon Holly is closely related to Yerba Mate (ilex paraguariensis). Yerba Mate has become popular in caffeinated beverages. However, Yaupon Holly is native to North America rather than South America, like Yerba Mate.
Just Doing What I can
So, I’ve kind of given up on tall red berry shrubs. But I think once I plant the elderberries, I’ll use Wintergreen (gaultheria procumbens) as a native ground cover. It produces red berries in front of the elderberry plants. The wintergreen berries are edible for humans, wild birds, and for chickens that I’m getting. So, it seems like a decent way to add the red color back after I replace the nandina with purple/black elderberries. Knowing the difference between edible and non-edible plants/berries is essential for a safe garden.