Nature’s buffet rolling out along the trail
- John Lorson: The Rail Trail Naturalist
- August 5, 2024
- 566
A friend of mine wrote me the other day with an urgent question: “Hey Nature Man, which comes ripe first, blackberries or black raspberries?”
Having spent the past few weeks strategically walking the dog along every blackberry-filled forest edge I can think of, I was able to answer quickly.
“I spent the Fourth of July picking black raspberries from the brambles in my own backyard,” I responded. “Then I spent the rest of the month plucking blackberries from everywhere else!”
One of my greater joys of summertime is being able to pause for a moment along a bike trail or country road and pluck a little on-the-go nutrition from this bush or that tree. The whole season is akin to a rolling buffet if you’ve got an eye for the fruit and the willingness to stop for a moment and enjoy.
Late May is typically my kickoff as signaled by the mulberry in my backyard, which will drip with fruit halfway through June. Several years in a row, I’d walk out on June mornings, pluck half a quart and retreat to the kitchen, where I’d smother my oatmeal under a layer of dark purple.
A few years ago, the birds discovered my secret. While I’d work the tree for maybe 10 minutes each morning, robins and starlings would mob the upper branches from dawn until dusk, taking leave of the tree only to decorate my patio and picnic table with dark and abstract art. That fall I cut the tree back to a 4-foot-tall stump, and last year the tree spent the season rebuilding. This summer the tree was once again covered in fruit, nearly all of which was reachable from the ground.
A black raspberry sprouted in the skeletal shade of a dead apple tree I’ve left standing as a den complex. A seed had apparently found its way through the belly of one of my guests, and I was lucky enough to have spotted the sprout just ahead of the mower. In just three years, we’ve gone from sprouted twig to a tangle yielding quart after quart of fresh fruit — all for the simple effort of steering clear of the patch with the blade. And while the birds have yet to make the discovery, I do face some competition in the form of my hound dog Frank.
In a nod to my boyhood companion Rex the Wonder Dog, our current mutt has developed a knack for nibbling off the low fruit while I take the high. Eaten in moderation, the berries carry the same generous health benefits for dogs as their human counterparts. Filled with antioxidants for cell repair along with a whole host of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, a handful of fresh berries is akin to taking a multivitamin — with the added benefit of dietary fiber to boot. As with all things delicious and fiber-filled, beware of over indulgence for both you and your pet.
You’ve still got time to grab a handful of fresh blackberries, but they won’t be around forever. Get out there and enjoy the best of the season.
If you have comments on this column or questions about the natural world, write The Rail Trail Naturalist, P.O. Box 170, Fredericksburg, OH 44627, or email jlorson@alonovus.com. You also can follow along on Instagram @railtrailnaturalist.