Berry unusual

There’s a wealth of juicy deliciousness beyond the standard fruitcage fare of strawberry, raspberry and blackberry. Mark Diacono explores all the other berries we should be growing, too

- Mark Diacono

IF you read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a child and dreamed of Willy Wonka’s delicious fruity wallpaper covered in snozzberries, you’ll be close to the sense of luxury and pleasure that comes with eating homegrown fruit. I feel this especially with berries: to be able to pick handfuls to enjoy straight from the plant without cooking or even washing makes me unnaturally happy. As much as I love blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, there is a special magic about those flavours beyond the supermarket shelves. Wineberries, blue honeysuckle, Chilean guava, jostaberries, and more—all delicious—are among the many you can only enjoy if you grow them yourself.

Japanese wineberries were my first taste of unusual berries and, of those that resemble blackberries in growing habit, I think they are the most beautiful. Small, pale-pink flowers cover the plant in early summer, after which the calyxes open to reveal berries that ripen quickly from bright green to vivid orange to deep crimson. The fruit is sweet and delicious: imagine a crossover of blackberries, raspberries, mulberries, and with a distinctive winey, grapevines. Native to northern China, Korea, and Japan, wineberries were introduced to Europe and North America primarily to cross with raspberries, but they are so well uncompromised by hybridization. At the end of the season, the arching canes’ soft, rust-red bristles catch the winter sun, bringing a dash of colour to the garden throughout the cold months.