Wild Edible Berries

By Filip Tkaczyk

Wild edible berries are a delight to find and to eat! There is a wealth of wild berries throughout North America. Berries come in many shapes, colors, and flavors. Here are some details to think about as you go out searching for these wild delicacies.

How nutritious are berries?

Though they are delicious and fun to collect, edible berries also contain vital nutrients important in maintaining our health. For instance, huckleberries and blueberries contain vitamins E, C & A, as well as small amounts of iron, copper, potassium and calcium. Another member of that genus – cranberries - are high in vitamin C as well as dietary fiber.

Wild berries are a great source of flavor and color to add to many meals and can help encourage greater health when eaten in moderation and as part of a well balanced diet.

In a survival situation, however, it must be remembered that berries are not necessarily enough to keep you going for an extended period. Wild edible berries provide a source of vitamins and a quick boost of sugar. During an extended survival situation, it is also vital to get foods that are richer in fats, protein, and calories. Under the duress of a survival situation, eating berries can help keep your physical energy and morale up. If possible, include calorie-rich foods such as nuts and seeds, or possibly wild meats, to keep your body nourished.

Where do I look for them?

Wild berries can be found in many different locations, from the wild, forested mountains to the suburban and rural hedgerows. For example, huckleberries tend to be found in forested areas. And wild strawberries are often found in woodlands, forests and some species even grow on and around coastal dunes. As with other wild foods, be sure to accurately identify the plant and remember to collect them from locations that are clean, and pollution-free. Do not collect from busy roadsides, or near industrial areas were pollutants tend to accumulate.

Wherever you might see them, edible wild berries are a delight to find and to eat. Go out and find some!

How to use edible berries?

Edible wild berries come in a wide variety of flavors, from the mouth-puckering sourness of Oregon grape to the mouth-watering sweetness of wild blackberries. You can cook them down into jam or preserves; or turn them into sauces and spreads; or use them as a topping for meats, fish and salads. You can add berries to overnight oats, pancakes, muffin, or bread recipes; or freeze them to eat as a cooling snack, to add to smoothies, or turn into flavorful ice cubes.

For an excellent pancake recipe, you can throw a few fresh wild blackberries or huckleberries into a pancake mix of your choice.  Cook them as you would regular pancakes and add your favorite topping, which might include more wild edible berries.

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What kinds of berries are out there?

There is a diverse range of berries out there, in all kinds of shapes, colors, and flavors. Here is a list of wild edible berries found here in the Pacific Northwest, many of which are found all over the country as well:

• Salal (Gaultheria shallon)
  

• Western Tea-berry (Gaultheria ovatifolia)
  
  
• Alaska blueberry (Vaccinium alaskaense)
  
  
• Oval-leaved blueberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium)
  
  
• Black huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum)
  
  
• Red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium)
  
  
• Dwarf blueberry (Vaccinium caespitosum)
  
  
• Bog blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum)
  
  
• Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum)
  
  
• Bog cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos)
  
  
• Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)
  
  
• Hairy manzanita (Arctostaphylos columiana)
  
  
• Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
  
  
• Blue elderberry (Sambucus caerulea)
  
  
• Black elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)
  
  
• Saskatoon / serviceberry (Amelanchier ainifolia)
  
  
• Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)
  
  
• Blackcap raspberry (Rubus leucodermis)
  
  
• Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus)
  
  
• Himalayan or Armenian Blackberry (Rubus discolor)
  
  
• Evergreen blackberry (Rubus laciniatus)
  
  
• Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)
  
  
• Dwarf bramble (Rubus lasiococcus)
  
  
• Five-leaved bramble (Rubus pedatus)
  
  
• Dewberry (Rubus nivalis)
  
  
• Dwarf Nagoonberry (Rubus arcticus)
  
  
• Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus)
  
  
• Creeping Oregon-grape (Mahonia nervosa)
  
  
• Tall Oregon-grape (Mahonia aquifolium)
  
  
• Bunchberry (Cornus Canadensis)
  
  
• Coastal strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis)
  
  
• Wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
  
  
• Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca)

By the way, when you're out foraging, it's important to know how to stay safe in the outdoors, especially if you were to get lost. Right now you can get a free copy of our mini survival guide here, where you'll discover six key strategies for outdoor emergencies, plus often-overlooked survival tips.

Further Resources:

Edible Berries of the Pacific Northwest - Northern Bushcraft

For more resources on identifying wild edibles such as edible berries, check out our Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants Courses.

Also, check out some of our other articles on specific berries here: Red Huckleberry Plants and Wild Strawberries.

About the Author: Filip Tkaczyk is a periodic guest teacher at Alderleaf. He also wrote the field guide Tracks & Sign of Reptiles & Amphibians. Learn more about Filip Tkaczyk.

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