Time to get fruity.

It seems amazing given the very dry conditions over the last few months, that the trees and brambles are still able to produce fruit. Whilst the fruit may be of interest to us humans to casually pick because of their taste or natural properties, it is sobering to realise that fruit is the culmination of a season’s growth for the plant. The principle purpose of any fruit is to ensure that there is future growth. The fruit invariably contains the plant’s seeds and the production of the seed is the plants method of ensuring that its own genes continue to develop and that their species thrives.

I spotted four obvious edible fruits as I walked around the wood the other day.

Some other species have had their fruit a lot earlier in the season. The wild cherry, for example, usually flowers around April/May time and the fruit will set shortly after pollination. Because of the height of the cherry trees all the fruit get eaten by birds with those that fall are eaten by badgers and wood mice.

Beech masts are edible and apparently can be roasted and ground to produce a coffee like substitute. Even though I don’t drink coffee it may be interesting to try this out. The beech trees seem to be having a particularly bountiful crop this year, maybe conditions just suited their needs. So as long as I can get to some of the masts before the squirrels eat them all then I may be in with a chance.

More next time…………………………