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Know this look-alike

Edible Berries vs Buckthorn: Telling Them Apart

These look-alikes can make you seriously ill. Get the identification right before you eat anything. Buckthorn berries grow on small invasive trees and are violently laxative. They are confused with currants, gooseberries, serviceberries, chokeberries, hawthorn, plums, and cherries. Check the seed count, leaf veins, and growth habit before eating any small dark fruit.

The dangerous species

Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica / Frangula alnus (Glossy Buckthorn))
Tom Norton · CC BY
⚠ do not eat

Buckthorn

Rhamnus cathartica / Frangula alnus (Glossy Buckthorn)

How to tell it apart

  • At the tip there is often a straight thorn with two elongated, brown scaly buds on opposite sides that curve in similar to a deer hoof, hence the common name NC State Extension ↗
  • The toxins cause stomach cramps and laxative effects that may function in seed dispersal. Wikipedia ↗

Edibles people confuse with these

If you are foraging any of these, rule out the look-alikes above every time.

edible
Saskatoon / Western Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)
Sam Kieschnick · CC BY

Saskatoon / Western Serviceberry

Amelanchier alnifolia

moderate

The notes above are an educational starting point, not a substitute for a field guide or an experienced forager. If you are not completely certain, do not eat it.