So many berries (1 Viewer)

Andy Adcock · Sep 13, 2017

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41229523

It's the same in Russia as I noted on another thread some days ago 'The bushes here are creaking under the strain a of a huge Rowan berry crop this year, let's see if it's a portent of a hard winter' but we've had a chilly, wet summer?

A

Gordon · Sep 13, 2017

Hawthorns are the same, as are crab apples and "feral" pear trees round about here in Ayrshire. I think we need some serious research looking into how these fruiting trees can tell the future.... I can remember my gran saying things like "it'll be a hard winter" when the wild fruits were abundant.

Andy Adcock · Sep 13, 2017

Gordon said:
Hawthorns are the same, as are crab apples and "feral" pear trees round about here in Ayrshire. I think we need some serious research looking into how these fruiting trees can tell the future.... I can remember my gran saying things like "it'll be a hard winter" when the wild fruits were abundant.

I'm not sure that science supports it though Gordon?

We haven't had a hard winter by Russian standards for about three years so it will be interesting to see what happens.

A

Nutcracker · Sep 13, 2017

Gordon said:
I think we need some serious research looking into how these fruiting trees can tell the future....

They can't. They're tellings us about what the past weather was like when they were developing their flower buds, and also whether the conditions were good for pollination and fruit development, too.

Not sure where the BBC got their info from, but berry crops around here (Northumbs) are decidedly mediocre - less than last autumn, and last autumn wasn't anything very special either.

coaltit · Sep 13, 2017

Well I have a rowan tree and a bay tree among my trees, the rowan berrys is a normal size crop the only unusual Thing there is is that the birds mainly blackbirds have hardly touched them this year normally at this time they have nearly all gone or have gone the same thing happened a few years ago thou to obviously finding another food source somewhere nearby of some berrys? etc, but the baytree the ground below that was covered in berrys from it, the trees over 30 years old now but from memory I,d say its the biggest crop of berries its had I was sweeping up hundreds if not more of berrys this morning from the tree.

Nutcracker · Sep 13, 2017

coaltit said:
Well I have a rowan tree and a bay tree among my trees, the rowan berrys is a normal size crop the only unusual Thing there is is that the birds mainly blackbirds have hardly touched them this year normally at this time they have nearly all gone or have gone the same thing happened a few years ago thou to obviously finding another food source somewhere nearby of some berrys? etc, but the baytree the ground below that was covered in berrys from it, the trees over 30 years old now but from memory I,d say its the biggest crop of berries its had I was sweeping up hundreds if not more of berrys this morning from the tree.

Yep - different species are adapted to different conditions, so fruit crop size in any one year will vary from species to species.

All the same - that doesn't sound typical Bay Laurel. Being a Mediterranean plant, it doesn't tend to fruit heavily in the UK climate. Can you post a pic of the leaves and fruit, for ID?

Andy Adcock · Sep 13, 2017

Nutcracker said:
All the same - that doesn't sound typical Bay Laurel. Being a Mediterranean plant, it doesn't tend to fruit heavily in the UK climate. Can you post a pic of the leaves and fruit, for ID?

There was a detective series 'Cracker', without the Nut!!!:-O

Before your inner pedant kicks in, I realise he was a shrink but it was still a cop show!

A

coaltit · Sep 14, 2017

So many berries.

Nutcracker said:
Yep - different species are adapted to different conditions, so fruit crop size in any one year will vary from species to species.

All the same - that doesn't sound typical Bay Laurel. Being a Mediterranean plant, it doesn't tend to fruit heavily in the UK climate. Can you post a pic of the leaves and fruit, for ID?

I don,t desize my photo,s often Nutcracker so I,m hopeing this one picture is enough you can just see a
Black berry or one of the fruits in the back ground.

Nutcracker · Sep 14, 2017

Thanks! Definitely not Laurus nobilis; looks more like Prunus lusitanica (toxic, so don't go putting any leaves from it in your stews!!)

coaltit · Sep 15, 2017

So Many Berries

Nutcracker said:
Thanks! Definitely not Laurus nobilis; looks more like Prunus lusitanica (toxic, so don't go putting any leaves from it in your stews!!)

I,ve dryed these leaves before turning them
Brown Identical to bay leaves and have used them a number of times like
That with lamb when cooking, but you have Intrigued me enough to check
Out this tree more (hopefully) I,ll hear more from a specialist here on line and
I,ll let you know more then this tree has survived the worst of our weather
In its time here so yes I,m Interested

Coaltit.

coaltit · Sep 15, 2017

Well I have myself checked on Prunus lusitanica (The Portugal Laurel) and I,ve checked out the berries and leaves and it is not that species I,m pleased to say.

dwallace · Sep 15, 2017

More berries than ever on our hawthorn here in Hampshire.

Dave W

Simon Wates · Sep 15, 2017

coaltit said:
Well I have myself checked on Prunus lusitanica (The Portugal Laurel) and I,ve checked out the berries and leaves and it is not that species I,m pleased to say.

I agree with Nutcracker on at least Prunus sp., maybe Prunus caroliniana?

coaltit · Sep 17, 2017

So many berries.

Simon Wates said:
I agree with Nutcracker on at least Prunus sp., maybe Prunus caroliniana?

Well simon if not for the post and me Mentioning my tree I would have known no better than I have done for the
Last 30 plus years I took it on face value from my parents it was a bay tree
When they bought it around 1985 and they never said any different, but looking
It up properly it is quite an Interesting species Indeed and well known in America as I found on you tube, Nutcracker certainly put me in the right
Direction It is Indeed a Prunus but non mentioned... Its Prunus Serotina
The American wild Black Cherry I had to double check a number of times
And it led to Interesting Information on this Tree, In light of the toxic
Chemicals in the leaves I,ll be careful how or when I use any leaves in future
Thou as said before I,ve used them a number of times with roasts when
Cooking but only if the leaves are dryed out properly, In america If a tree
Is wind blown down which they are susceptible to live stock if they eat any
Wilted leaves it can poison them, but you can surpriseinly use the berries
You can either eat them straight from the tree when ripe, or make jam, jelly, Or even wine, I,m going to be a bit different and see how black cherry gin or vodka goes down It might be a first

I,ve shook some branches today over Some plastic sheeting collecting berries that way but it was a big crop this Year.

Simon Wates · Sep 18, 2017

coaltit said:
.....but you can surpriseinly use the berries
You can either eat them straight from the tree when ripe, or make jam, jelly, Or even wine, I,m going to be a bit different and see how black cherry gin or vodka goes down It might be a first

I'm so glad that you survived the leaves and will be able to enjoy the berries... especially if you can get intoxicated in a good way

Andy Adcock · Sep 20, 2017

I'm back in the UK at the moment and the Rowan outside my home has a very sparse crop of berries, however, another small bush which usually has very few berries, has a lot more than normal.

A pic of the second bush, still with plenty of berries despite being frequented for the last week by two Woodpigeons, is attached, anyone tell me what it is?

Thanks

A

Nutcracker · Sep 20, 2017

Elder Sambucus nigra :t:

Andy Adcock · Sep 20, 2017

Thanks Nutty, I knew you'd sort it for me

A

Andy Adcock · Sep 24, 2017

It will be interesting to see if if we get over-wintering Fieldfares as we did last time there was such a berry crop.

That winter was also notable for Pine Grosbeaks, Waxwings and Northern Bullfinches.

A

Nutcracker · Sep 25, 2017

andyadcock said:
It will be interesting to see if if we get over-wintering Fieldfares as we did last time there was such a berry crop.

That winter was also notable for Pine Grosbeaks, Waxwings and Northern Bullfinches.

If there's food, they'll stay. Migrating is a hazard, if they don't have to, they won't.

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