Posted by | December 16, 2021

All about YYC’s red berries

We see them everywhere in the winter, but what exactly are they—and are they edible? 

The resilient, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub that bears these berries is usually used for decoration, but also spreads extremely easily. Although they have a slow growth rate, they can also last up to 40 years with the right care.
When it comes to any berries you see around the city, the ground rule is to refrain from eating them (seriously, it happens more often than you’d think). While sometimes the berries are toxic for dogs and humans alike, the plant itself can also have toxic properties. 
Yet, some berries do grow in Alberta that are edible (courtesy of Northern Bushcraft):
  1. bearberry (aka kinnikinnick)
  2. black currant
  3. black huckleberry
  4. blueberry (aka bilberry)
  5. bunchberry
  6. chokecherry
  7. cloudberry
  8. cranberry
  9. crowberry
  10. elderberry
  11. fairy bell
  12. false solomon’s-seal
  13. golden currant
  14. gooseberry
  15. hawthorn
  16. oregon grape
  17. prickly-pear cactus
  18. raspberry
  19. red currant
  20. saskatoon berry (aka service berry, juneberry)
  21. skunkbush berry (aka sourberry)
  22. strawberry
  23. thimbleberry
  24. twisted stalk

Have a shrub full of berries you are looking to prune, shape or remove? Get a free quote by filling out the form below!

Request an Estimate

    Please select which services best describe your needs
  • Please give us a little more information about your request
  • Please take a second to let us know where you heard of us:)