Alaska Berries

The red berries are out in force in Alaska.  Unfortunately, many of them are poisonous, so I just took pictures.

In Canada, the bunchberries were blooming.  (They are called dogwoods, too, because of the shape of the flower.)

In Alaska, the berries are out.

On our walk at the Wildlife Refuge, we saw this thorny bush.

Its huge leaves and green berries turning red intrigued us, but the thorns kept us from getting too close.  We learned it is called Devil's Claw - poisonous to humans but bears love it!

These plants are everywhere and they are stunning - bright bright red berries against deep green foliage.

I thought they were baneberry, a highly poisonous berry that causes heart disfunction.  Other people told me it is elderberry, still poisonous in its raw form but ok to eat cooked.  Thanks, but no thanks.  We will not take our chances with that one!  The bears must not like it either, because it is quite prolific but we have yet to see a bear near them.

On our guided tour yesterday we saw some teardrop shaped berries (hoping for a picture sometime) hanging from a series of leaves.  The berries are single, dropping from the underside of the plant, about 10 to a stem and about 1/2" long.  They are called watermelon berries, and we now know why.  They taste like watermelon.  Apparently the bears love them!

Then of course there are raspberries - not in great quantities where we have been, but certainly ripening - and many others that I have not photographed.  There are high bush cranberries, low bush cranberries,  crowberries . . . we have a lot to learn, but until we know for sure they are edible, we are just looking!