There is a plant growing in our backyard that we hadn’t been able to identify (see above). There is a group on Facebook called  NC Native Plant Forum. They are really good about helping people identify and get advice on plants. You may be thinking “there is an app for that”; however, it is so much nicer to ask someone who may also be able to provide follow up information. If you seek advice, remember to show enough of the leaf pattern to show if leaves alternate or are directly across from each other, bark, stems, and any other details. Once identified, you can have fun finding out other information. This plant is native to eastern North Carolina and we can assure you that we didn’t plant it so it must be pretty easy to get to grow in this area. It is a viburnum prunifolium.

The common name for this tree if Blackhawk. The fruit, a relative of the high bush cranberry,  is edible and, according to this website, tastes a bit smoky and prune like.We love planting edibles, so it looks like nature planted one for us. We tried it yesterday and it is a grainy texture and reminds us of a persimmon. It is also persimmon-like, given the seed to pulp ratio. The seed is inedible, so we won’t be harvesting these anytime soon.  Fall is a fun time to explore the forest and wooded areas around Greensboro. There are plenty of berries and woodland goods that aren’t edible, so be sure to confirm before tasting. Do you have this plant in your yard? Have you ever seen one?

Happy Thursday!