Summer is marked by the bounty of so many delicious flowers and fruits. Berries abound with blueberries and blackberries. The stone fruits form so you can get your fresh Chickasaw plums and peaches. The elderberries are in fragrant bloom and the bee balm is abuzz with bumblers. It's mid-July now and some of the elderflowers are already beginning to turn to berries. Let's take a look at some of this summer bounty! How many have you spotted this season?
The limbs of the Chickasaw plum trees produce so many fruits that they will actually break themselves under the fruit's weight. Thinning the tree of some plums is doing it a favor. You can even harvest plums while green for making a tart chutney. These fruits are so tart but I love them!! Of course, they get sweeter as they ripen to a deep red color. Look out for fruits that ripen suspiciously early. They could have a bug inside so inspect for holes in the skin before chowing down unless you want some extra protein. Did you know all of the stone fruits (almond, nectarine, peach, apricots, cherries, and plums) are all in the same genus Prunus in the Rosaceae family. If you look, they have a similar horizontally striped bark pattern.
Above is an image of a ripening Elliot's Blueberry, a native northern highbush blueberry. They look a bit different than the rabbiteye and southern highbush varieties that a saw growing up in agricultural circles in southern Georgia, but they still have the distinct crowns of the other blueberries.
It's so fun to watch bees roll their bodies all over the flowers of bee balm! They couldnt be happier. Have you ever brushed up against a bee balm plant? It smells like oregano and it traditionally is enjoyed as a spice similar to oregano or in tea. This plant has a square fuzzy stem, a feature common to the mint family because it is a mint! As a tea it has been worked with in similar ways to our more common culinary mints. with Such a fragrant and beautiful flowering plant beloved by our pollinators.
The creamy, lacey blossoms of elderflower, certainly catch the eye in the summer, Elder plants love wet roots so you will often find them in ditches or near streams. Many people know about elderberries and their touted immune boosting properties, but have you ever heard that elderflower possesses similar herbal properties to the berries. The flowers are nearly as tedious to harvest and process as the berries if you to take the time to remove all the little green stems that contain small amounts of cyanide, but it's so worth it! I like to make elderflower syrup and drizzle it over cookies with lemon zest.
Above is an image of blackberries ripening on their cane from green to red to purple-black. Did you know that not only are the blackberries delicious and nutritious, but the leaves also have beneficial qualities. Blackberry leaves posses astringent, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties that have led them to be worked with throughout history in caring for wounds, sore throats, digestive ailments, diarrhea, menstrual cramps, and child birth.
Yarrow is another gorgeous summer bloomer. Its delicate feather like leaves and lacey blooms are very visually appealing, and it has been an herbal ally to humans throughout history. The astringent properties of yarrow's leaves have been worked with topically in stopping the flow of blood in serious wounds. Its name Achillea millefolium is in reference to Achilles and is thought of as the warrior's plant, but in modern day could be handy by any kitchen or workshop where sharp tools are present.
May you discover all of these summer delights and many many more! Join me for a foraging tour at www.flourishandflora.com.
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