Is this a blueberry bush?

[bad.kelpie]

It resides at the community garden, which is neglected and overgrown. It has changed managers so many times it'll make your head spin. The city pretty much just sells the plots and lets people do as they please, so I'm pretty sure no one who is part of the garden even knows it's there. It's loaded with fruit, and huge, probably 6 feet tall. I want to go pick a bunch, but I don't want to get poisoned either :p. I picked one, it was juicy and smelled like a blueberry.

[ContainerTed]

See my next post.

[bad.kelpie]

So if I eat them, I won't die, right? Lol. I should have taken more photos.

[bad.kelpie]

Someone on gardenweb said they are Amelanchier, aka serviceberry, juneberry. Sounds like they're completely edible either way

[SueCT]

It is a blueberry. I have two growing in pots on my patio. If you want to be REALLY certain you should take a pic of the whole plant. I would pic them, before the birds do. Great addition your morning cereal.

[bad.kelpie]

I'm definitely going to pick them. The garden is invested with quail (they look like such nice birds until they eat all your greens), they were hanging out under the bush, but the rest of the birds haven't found them yet

[ddsack]

If it's six feet tall, I would tend to say it is a Juneberry/Service berry/Saskatoon. The leaves look too big to be blueberry leaves and blueberries grow in tight clusters like grapes, not on such long single stems each. Do you have a picture of the whole bush?

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by bad.kelpie

So if I eat them, I won't die, right? Lol. I should have taken more photos.

I would never tell you that you won't die. But after checking further, I think it may be the one Gardenweb came up with. Around here, folks still call this Blueberry because it has "Blue Berries". Our only garden club takes care of the city limits signs. However, whichever name you call it, it is not poisonous or harmful unless you have an allergy.


Take care and bon appetite.

[bad.kelpie]

Thanks guys, I don't have any more pictures, I only took the 1 for some reason. I don't eat blueberries plain, usually make a sauce or jam or jelly, so these will be similar enough for me, I'm sure.

[PureHarvest]

100% NOT a blueberry (vacinnium)
100% IS an Amelanchier or serviceberry. I have 25 of them in a pollinator planting.
100% delicious and sweet even when unripe, unlike a blueberry. Only downside is it has a small seed or two inside.
Not poisonous.

[SueCT]

I thought the large leaf size was due to the extreme close up. Well, that is why you need a full plant picture. Either way, pick em and eat em, lol.

[bad.kelpie]

Sheesh, fine, here are more pics..






They're far sweeter than a blueberry, very nice little fruit.

[ddsack]

Lucky you, to have found such a productive bush -- get them picked before someone else does! We have some growing wild along the sides of our gravel township road, but they are shaded by other trees and not very productive most years. Nice to just get a handful or two.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelanchier_alnifolia

[bad.kelpie]

Went back and picked a few more, got just over 3lbs total. I left more than I took in case I was wrong about no one else knowing about it. I bought some 8oz canning jars and sugar, so we're all set

[SueCT]

Looks delicious. That is a pretty big bush. My blueberries are are only 2-3 feet high in a pot, although they can get bigger, but I have never seen a blueberry bush that big. Clearly it must be the look alike serviceberry. I don't think I have ever seen a serviceberry. Are the berries the size of blueberries or are they larger also? I would love to try them some time, although the seeds might be why they are not as popular as blueberries.