Red Berry Bush Identification

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by linkadrip, Jun 28, 2008.

  1. linkadrip

    linkadrip Member

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    Well here is a red berry bush that my dad purchased from an online nursery a popular one at that time Gurneys.
    well the bush was suppose to be a black berry bush. and as you can see the berries are red. For the longest time i have wondered what kind of bush it is. Emailed the company a few times never got an answer. So can anyone tell me what kind of red berry bush this is??
    One year the birds ate all the berries off it. this year doesnt seem like there that intrested a few here and there.
     

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  2. linkadrip

    linkadrip Member

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    I was thinking if anything i can use them for fishing for trout they look like samon eggs and are goshy like them too. they have a seed in the middle of the berry.
     

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  3. abgardeneer

    abgardeneer Active Member

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    They appear to be nanking cherry, Prunus tomentosus. They can be eaten out of hand, and make good jam.
     
  4. linkadrip

    linkadrip Member

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    Wow i didn't think they would be editable. and make good jam thats great.. thank you i'll see what some one else may say i have never tasted them afraid i would be poisoned. I'll taste one, see how it taste. lol
     
  5. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Those definitely look like Nanking cherries to me. One of my grandparents used to have a Nanking tree in the yard, and I used to stuff myself silly on them in the late summer. I never found them to be too tart, but then again I've always been a fan of bitter and sour things. Munch away!
     
  6. linkadrip

    linkadrip Member

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    Yes i was amazed i went out and picked some and brought them in a washed them off and ate some and they taste just like cherries amazing. lol and all these years everyone has been afrid of the bush. I'm gonna make some Jam out of them and took some seeds and planted them in another location. hoping to grow another bush.. So now i have anther editable fruit.

    Very nice thank you for identifying the bush. this is a great forum I'll be frequently visiting this one. :)
     
  7. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    If you're planting the seeds out, give them two days in your freezer first. It will increase your chances of getting them to sprout.
     
  8. linkadrip

    linkadrip Member

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    Ok i didn't know that. Thats interesting does this apply to all seeds? I haven't had much luck getting anything to grow i usually just take the seeds and put them in the ground and water them. I have heard of putting them in water first to get them to sprout. i soaked the seeds for 2 days in some water then took them out and planted them. But i have tons more so I'll take some and freeze them for a couple days. Thanks for the info:)
     
  9. alex66

    alex66 Rising Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Ribes rubrum for me...
     
  10. abgardeneer

    abgardeneer Active Member

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    The leaf shape doesn't match Ribes rubrum.

    Freezing seed is not usually recommended, as there is a risk of killing the embryo (see writings of Deno and others). Also, freezing seeds for two days does not accomplish stratification anyway (if that's what it's intended to do), so any supposed benefits are questionable (ibid. Deno).
     
  11. linkadrip

    linkadrip Member

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    Oh well i haven't frozen any seeds yet. i'll have to look into the writing of deno and others.. thanks
     
  12. joclyn

    joclyn Rising Contributor

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    some seeds need a bit of cold treatment to germinate. usually putting them in the fridge for a few weeks is enough. the purpose of the cold treatment is to mimic winter temps.

    most flower seeds do not need this kind of treatment.
     
  13. Lysichiton

    Lysichiton Active Member

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    Put the fruit in the freezer instead, in ziploc bags. Quick zap in the microwave is all you need to cook them. They lose texture, but boy do they taste good with some Bird's Eye Custard in the gloomy winter!

    gb
     
  14. linkadrip

    linkadrip Member

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    I often noticed that i will plant seeds in the summer water them and nothing happens then the next spring they pop up and start growing. So cooling them makes sense. what about drying them.? I mean if you take cantaloupe seeds for instance should you dry them out first or just put them in the fridge for a while then plant them.? Really want to get into knowing more about planting different stuff.

    I have a corn garden that seems to be doing pretty good so i thought i would take some seeds from other stuff and give it a shot. I could go buy seed in the store for different vegetable and what not but i thought it would be really neat to just take the seeds from produce tomatoes cantaloupe etc and try growing it.

    So I'll put some seeds in the fridge to bring on the winter foolery lol and then maybe i will get some thing to grow.
     
  15. Thean

    Thean Active Member 10 Years

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    Howdy Linkadrip,
    Abgardener is correct in ID'ing your bush as Prunus tomentosa or Nanking cherry. It is also known as Manchu cherry, Downy cherry, Mountain cherry, Chinese Bush cherry and Hansen cherry. The last was because Dr Neil Hansen of South Dakota tried to popularise the fruit. The plant is Native from the Hinmalayans to Korea. It was introduced into North America in 1882 from the area around the old capital Nanking - hence its name.
    Nanking cherry is a temperate fruit. It therefore requires cold stratification before germinating. Actually Nanking cherry seeds require about 90 to 100 days of 0 zero to 4degrees to break their dormancy. The easiest and cheapest way is to eat the cherries, seed the pits into your garden and allow nature to do the stratification for you. In spring they will come up like bean sprouts.
    Peace
    Thean
    PS. Try making juice, jelly and wine too with the cherries. I find the jelly and juice of excellent qualities. I don't drink wine so I never made any but those who do claim it makes excellent wine too. You may have to add a little sugar to bring up the soluble solids to make wine.
     
  16. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    You do have to add a little sugar for wine. Then, once you've got it bottled, it benefits from being buried in the garden for 10-15 years. Use a marker - I had a friend do this, and he forgot where he buried the bottles; he still finds one occasionally but it's all by luck.
     
  17. linkadrip

    linkadrip Member

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    Thanks THean and Lorax. I'm into making beer so making wine shouldnt be to hard but i like the idea of juice and jelly and the histroy of the plant is great thank you very much..:)
     
  18. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Actually, if you're into beers then maybe look into fruit-blended ones. I know from personal experience that Apricot and Raspberry/Blackberry make good beer, and I see no reason that cherry wouldn't...
     
  19. linkadrip

    linkadrip Member

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    Very true. But at the moment beer making isnt to easy. the hops that are use in beer are getting scarce, and very expensive i planted my own hops vines but its going to take some time before there ready to harvest any from.
    But at least there growing really good. going to have some hollertown middlefruit hops someday:) i know that is not the correct spelling of the hop. but seems that's the way it is said kinda.

    So my beer making has been put on hold for a bit due to rising cost of yeast and hops. But i am planning to make a pear cider from my pear tree this year. so may try a nankin cheerie cider of sorts basically a wine. should be intresting. at least the nankin bush has some value after all, and that is really great it's always nice to have plants in the yard that will give a fruit or something usefull.
     

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