Hello, I recently encountered a strange fruit I saw on a tree in Portland, OR. When I ate it, it tasted sweet. However, later on I felt ill. I am not sure if the two are related. Can anyone identify this for me? Thank you!
Yes, it was delicious! I've read online that some dogwood fruits are "mildly toxic," however. Is that the case with this fruit? Is this fruit also known as the "Himalayan Strawberry Tree"?
Yes, some are, e.g. Cornus sanguinea and Cornus florida are inedible and slightly toxic, but yours is fully safe (the fruit are widely sold in Chinese markets, and very popular there). The ones that are not edible taste revolting (very bitter) so the risks of mistakes are very low. Some botanists split Cornus into several genera, and these edible ones (C. kousa, C. capitata) are then placed in the genus Dendrobenthamia. Another species Cornus mas (not in the Dendrobenthamia group) is also edible.