Berry Good Walks

Many types of berries can be found wild in our township, in sunny paths and shaded corridors. They’re free for the picking and eating. Be careful, though: the berries often grow among invasive species and may be sprayed with herbicide. To be safe, wash the berries before eating them.

Some of the berries you can find in Middletown, if you keep on the lookout and the season is right:

1. Wineberry (related to, and often confused with raspberry). These grow within Ridley creek State Park and alongside Linvill Trail. Shade tolerant, ripe around July. Be sure to check out the colorful fruit and all the wildlife it attracts.

2. Blackberry. Often grouped with Wineberry. Found on the steep hill of the paved Ridley Creek Trail loop, leading all the way up to the cornfields next to Middletown road. This is the wild version of the blackberry, and while tasty it is often full of pith and seeds. Ripe in late July to early August

3. Mulberry. Native berry trees with a bountiful harvest. While native and beneficial to the environment, this can be a messy plant if there is not a suitable amount of wildlife to act as natures recycler. Ripe Mid June through August.

4. Serviceberry. Native berry shrub or tree, depending on how it's been allowed to grow. There are several types of Serviceberries with different berry yields. A great addition to the home garden, the berries are slightly smaller and tarter than blueberries but a mature tree will produce enough for a snack when passing by. Ripe late June through July.

5. Japanese Silverberry, also known as Autumn Olive. This is a common invasive shrub in sunny meadows and fields, and smells pleasant. This is a unique plant because the berries ripen from September to November, providing food to small animals at the start of winter. The small juicy berry clusters berries are high in lycopene.