Wild Edible Berries - Foraging for Berries Found in the Pacific Northwest, Interior of BC and More!

Oregon-Grapes - Berberis aquifolium formerly Mahonia aquifolium
Oregon-grape is a perennial evergreen shrub which grows up to 3 m tall. The leaves are shiny and spiny-edged. The flowers are yellow, and it produces purplish-blue berries that are about 1 cm long.
Oregon-grapes produce tart, juicy berries that can be eaten raw or can be used to make jam, jelly, wine, and more. The very young leaves are also edible.

Black Hawthorn - Crataegus douglasii
Black hawthorns grow in a small tree with 1-2 cm long thorns on the branches. If the thorns scratch your eyes, they can cause blindness! The berries, or haws, are about 1 cm long and purplish black. Typically they grown in lowland to montane zones near forest edges, thickets, and along streams and roads. The haws are edible, but are seedy, mealy and bland. However, they are rich in pectin so could be used with other fruits to make jellies and/or jams.

Thimbleberry - Rubus parviflorus
Thimbleberry grows in an erect shrub up to 2.5 m tall without any prickles or spines. The fruits are shallow-domed raspberry-like clusters of red fruit. They are sweet but not as sweet as raspberries. They were used by indigenous groups but were considered inferior to other berries like raspberries and blackberries. The large leaves can be used as an emergency toilet paper.

CORRECTION - Identified as Pacific or Trailing Blackberry, the blackberry shown in the video is actually Himalayan Blackberry.

Himalayan Blackberry - Rubus armeniacus
This is an introduced species that grows up to 5 m tall and is found in southwestern BC and south to California.

Pacific or Trailing Blackberry - Rubus ursinus
Pacific/Trailing blackberry grows in thickets, in dry and open sites and disturbed sites in southwestern BC and south along the west coast of the United States. It is a perennial shrub that has dioecious growth meaning male and female reproductive parts are on separate canes. It also has a two year growth cycle in which fruits are produced in the second year of growth. Pacific or trailing blackberry produces purplish to black berries which were traditionally gathered by indigenous people in Canada.

Red-osier Dogwood - Cornus sericea
Red-osier dogwood is a shrub that grows up to about 6 m tall. They are found on moist sites, shores, and thickets across Canada. The young branches have bright red bark. The fruits are white or sometimes bluish. The fruits are bitter by modern standards but are edible. Some indigenous groups would harvest them and prepare them combines with other sweeter berries such as Saskatoon Berries.

Saskatoon Berry - Amelanchier alnifolia
Saskatoon berries are also known as service berries. They were the most popular and widely used berry by central and southern indigenous groups. They grow in prairies, hillsides, thickets, in moist forests, on dry hillsides, and more. Saskatoons are common and widespread at low to mid elevations. They can be eaten fresh or stored in many ways such as jams and jellies, pies, pancakes, sauces, syrups, pemmican, and more.

Queen's Cup - Clintonia uniflora
Queen's Cup is a perennial herb that grows from a rhizome. It grows in shaded moist forests, and bears 1 or rarely 2 white flowers which produce bright metallic blue berries. The berries are considered unpalatable or mildly toxic. However, the young leaves can be eaten raw of cooked and have a sweetish taste like cucumber. Queen's Cup is a kind of lily, and it is easily grown in woodland gardens.

False Solomon's-Seal - Maianthemum racemosum formerly Smilacina racemosa
False Solomon's-seal is a species of lily. It grows at low to sub-alpine elevations in moist forests, openings, and clearings. It is a perennial growing from rhizomes 30-100 cm tall. False Solomon's-seal produces red, fleshy round berries. The young greens and rhizomes were eaten by some indigenous people. The berries were eaten by various indigenous people across Canada. Some indigenous people in BC believed the berries to be the food of snakes and avoided them. In other cases when the berries of false Solomon's-seal were eaten, it was by hunters, berry pickers, and children.

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Please consume wild plants at your own risk! Consult multiple reliable sources before consuming any wild plants! This video is for information and entertainment only!

References

MacKinnon, A. Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine Media Productions (BC) Ltd. 2014.

Pojar, J. and MacKinnon, A. Plants of Coastal British Columbia. BC Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing. 2004.

0:00 Introduction
4:03 Black Hawthorn Crataegus douglasii
5:32 Red-osier Dogwood Cornus sericea
6:58 False Solomon's-seal Smilacina racemosa
9:32 Saskatoon Berry Amelanchier alnifolia
10:51 sometimes around the entire leaf
11:26 Oregon Grape Mahonia aquifolium Berberis aquifolium