Wild berries and fruits
There is a plethora of wild berries that grow all around the US and Canada - some are widespread and some grow more locally. I take great delight in foraging for these berries and popping them into my mouth, and also feeding family and friends - after all, with my days as a bread earner coming to an end, I am hoping to curry favor as a berry earner!!
How do I identify edible berries? To begin with, keep an eye out for any wild berries / fruit when out for a hike in the woods, mostly in the summer and fall. There are some that shout out their inedibility! They are usually red and hard or dark and hard. The ones with a soft or semi-soft pulp are the ones of interest - if they are unfamiliar to me, I look ‘em up on iNaturalist (a great app for identifying flora and fauna) and then Google to read about the berry. Based on this research, some turn out to be uncontroversially edible and I unabashedly gorge on them. But if the search outcome is not conclusive enough, I am occasionally foolhardy enough to try based on my instinct but this is not recommended for everyone - be forewarned!
Here are some berries that we feasted on during our trip to the Maritime/Atlantic provinces of Canada in the summer of 2025!
Serviceberries, Kouchibouguac NP, New Brunswick
Interestingly, we found several bear scat liberally laced with these seeds - thankfully, we didn’t run into the sources of the scat foraging for these delicious berries!
Partridgeberries, Gros Morne NP, Newfoundland
I looked out for them on a 2 mile hike where they were known to be found but only came across a couple of bushes bearing the berries - they were totally worth the effort though!
Rugosa rose-hips, Arichat, Nova Scotia
There is a trick to eating them, making sure you don’t ingest the seeds and occasional thorns but they are full of character! They are abundant in the coastal areas of Nova Scotia, nowhere more so than at the Cape Forchu Lighthouse near Yarmouth
Wild apples, Cabot Trail (Cape Breton), Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia in particular has wild apple trees all over - we tasted at least a few dozen of them; some were tart, some sweet, some crisp, and some snowpowdery
Blueberries, Elliston, Newfoundland
These are widespread across the continent - we have had them in Alaska and in Newfoundland, and everywhere in between!
Raspberries, South Brook, Newfoundland
Quite abundant in all provinces
Not-so-sure-what-berry, South Brook, Newfoundland
Luscious serviceberries in copious quantities, Kouchibouguac NP, New Brunswick
Chokecherry, Cabot Trail (Cape Breton), Newfoundland.
A word of caution - stop at a few! Must be a reason they were named what they are named!
