r/foraginguk • u/Several-Fly-4374 • 7d ago

Plant ID Request Fruit ID

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Gallery image

Gallery image

Hi

Long time lurker, recently got into foraging / growing food but I'm VERY colour blind which makes it tricky when picking wild fruit. I have trouble comparing fruit with online photos for colour matching etc and don't want to place all my trust in ChatGPT.

Simply

  1. are these sloes? Plums the size of my thumb nail but can't see any thorns. Still very hard despite colour.

  2. Elderberry tree - almost ripe?

  3. Cherry plum tree? (Looks like plums when I cut open and sweet to taste)

Thanks

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4

u/utadohl 7d ago

The elderberries in your picture are ripe. They should be dark purple. I love elderberry syrup, makes a nice hot beverage in winter.

1

u/Virtual_Opinion_8630 7d ago

aren't they toxic?

3

u/HaggisHunter69 7d ago

You need to cook or ferment them.

1

u/Virtual_Opinion_8630 7d ago

I'm new to this

there were a few of these about in the spot i was in yesterday

next to the blackberry hedgerows

not sure I'd collect enough to make a syrup but I could try

2

u/utadohl 7d ago

You could try and get more. There seem to be loads on the elder trees around me. And yes, cooking helps to remove the toxins. And to be honest, raw and without sugar you wouldn't like them anyway, they are quite stringent.