North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Hilborn.E@epamail.epa.gov]

  "I forgot to mention one wild, naturalized fruit very common to  the
woods here that bares best and very heavily when receiving very little
direct sunlight.  The wineberry is extraordinary in the amount of
cropping it does with very little light..."


I want to raise the issue of invasive plant species.

Some of the fruits we explore can do a lot of damage when they escape
into the surrounding landscape.

As we know, wildlife cannot always be controlled and  animals are a
reliable way to spread seed far and wide.

I guess that I am very sensitive to this issue because my farm is in a
relatively diverse landscape, so the damage that IS due to invasives is
very evident where I live.

Around here I battle the fruiting plants of Elaeagnus species and
Mahonia aquifolium.  Elaeagnusespecially is very destructive in the
natural landscape.

See warning for wineberry below from US Fish and Wildlife Service:
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         

Betsy Hilborn
7a NC


http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/pubs/midatlantic/ruph.htm


      Distribution and Ecological Threat
      Wineberry is found from New England and eastern Canada to North
      Carolina and west to Michigan and Tennessee. It occurs along
      forest, field, stream and wetland edges and in open woods,
      preferring moist habitats. Wineberry poses a threat to native
      flora because of its vigorous growth, which allows it to crowd out
      native plants and establish extensive patches.



      Description and Biology
            Plant: typical blackberry appearance, except for the
            conspicuous and distinctive reddish, glandular hairs that
            cover all parts of the plant.
            Leaves: alternate along the stem, are divided into three
            heart-shaped leaflets with purple veins and toothed margins.
            Flowers, fruits and seeds: small green flowers with white
            petals and small reddish hairs occur in the spring and are
            followed by showy bright red fruits in early summer. The
            fruits are enclosed in a husk until ripe when the sepals
            spread exposing the orange to red raspberry type fruit.
            Spreads: by seeds transported by birds, mammals, and people,
            and by vegetative means. New plants can grow from arching
            canes that touch the ground, and from root buds.


      Prevention and Control
      Do not plant wineberry. Wineberry can be controlled through
      mechanical means or by treating the canes with a systemic
      herbicide like glyphosate or triclopyr.