Isle Royale Forums

When do juneberries come into season on IR? Would they be a rash fruit for a novice forager to forage? (I mean: are they readily distinguishable from berries one oughtn't eat??)

If these get answered, I have learned followup questions about Grant's tomb.

If you're talking Amelanchier (Serviceberry) then I'll agree with Samuel Thayer who says they don't come into peak until later July into mid-August. (He lives in Northern Wisconsin, if memory serves.) But, if a person was in survival mode, you could probably eat them in June...
I'm not aware of any toxic lookalikes, at least provided you're identifying the plant based on it's leaves and structure, beyond just the fruit.

August tends to be the big bounty for foragers on the Isle, when Thimbleberries are at peak. My hiking pace in August has always been slower for some reason...

According to my Edible Plant identification cards:
Deck 1 Temperate North America

Serviceberry - Amelanchier alnifolia and other species.

Other common Names: Juneberry, Shadberry, Saskatoon.

Season: Blossoms in spring: provides edibles from early summer through fall: fruit begins to dry on the vine(still edible) in late summer and is available into winter.

Notes of interest: Like the currant berry, this berry was used by the Indians as an ingredient for making pemmican.
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It appears they are nearly always edible.

I will comment however, I have never tried them. Maybe this year, should I find them.(I'll be running to Saskatoon!)

When on the Isle, I prefer raspberries, thimbleberries, blueberries, when available.

This was many years ago, but we found the world’s best Juneberry bush just off the trail that leads from the Malone Bay campground to Siskiwit Lake. We easily filled two quart containers in about 10 minutes. This was in the last week of August (maybe they should call it Augustberry instead?).

Thanks berry much! I'm looking at a June visit --- hence my excitement at the nomenclature---so I guess I'll have to plan another trip for prime berry season.

Also: running to Saskatoon? Like by foot???

I believe we have moved from elementary to intermediate!