Connecticut contains a vast array of native edible fruits. Some of these fruits have celebrity status, such as the highbush and lowbush blueberry, Virginia strawberry, and black raspberry. Other native fruits, though also delicious, are lesser known and grown on private property. But it is worth learning about these fruits and the plants that provide them because the fruits are edible for humans, well-adapted to the conditions of Connecticut, and a benefit to local wildlife.

Black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata) is a one-to-three-foot high deciduous shrub and thrives in dry, acidic, and rocky soil. These shrubs contain flowers in the spring that provide nectar for native bees, moths, and butterflies. Small purplish black berries appear in the summer. In the forest, observers might notice that these plants delicately fan out in a bonsai fashion and spread, creating a ground cover that provides habitat for low-nesting birds. In summertime, berries are eaten by songbirds and small mammals. Lucky people with access to picking huckleberries or purchasing them at a farmers market can eat them immediately — maybe even on the way home — or create homemade preserves and refreshing drinks with these blueberry-like fruits.

American plum (Prunus Americana) is reported to be one of the most valuable plants for local wildlife. A keystone plant, it is a host plant for over 400 species of caterpillars that become butterflies and moths. Fragrant spring flowers bloom in large clusters, providing early-season pollen and nectar for native pollinators. This shrub can grow between 25-35 feet high, and while it thrives in moist soil, it is drought-tolerant once established. These plants send out root suckers to form dense thickets that provide vital nesting sites for birds. Plums have a sweet and sometimes tangy flavor and are available for harvest in mid-late summer. Small mammals, songbirds such as cedar waxwings, and wild turkeys consume the fruits. Plums can be enjoyed kissed by the sun, cold, or as wild plum jam on one’s favorite toast.

Common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is reported to grow between 35-60 feet. This plant, not only grown for its late November bright orange fruits, is also sought after for its distinguished bark. Mature trees boast dark gray bark with vertical and horizontal fissures that resembles the pattern of a checkerboard. This tree is an equal opportunity grower in many Connecticut soil conditions, but it thrives in deep, moist, well-drained loam. Both a male and female plant will be needed for pollination. In summer, the leaves of this tree host the spectacular luna moth and royal walnut moth caterpillars. In the late days of fall, after the harvest has almost completely halted, delicious ripe fruits will fall and feed small mammals, bears, wild turkeys, and deer. A rich tradition exists of these prized fruits being dried as candy, churned into pleasingly bright orange sorbet, or baked into satisfying desserts such as persimmon pudding.

In addition, Connecticut is home to various serviceberry shrubs, riverbank grapes, cranberries, pawpaw, beach plums, and red mulberries. One may research the native range of New England plants by going to the web at gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org. Ask local nurseries such as Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery and Urbanscapes Native Plant Nursery about edible fruiting plants availability. Planting native fruits is a savvy move because it restores the local food web, and requires less maintenance than exotic varieties while providing fresh, and therefore nutritious, local food that everyone can enthusiastically anticipate each year.

My Backyard Habitat is published monthly in cooperation with The Newtown Bee by Protect Our Pollinators. For more information or to reach the organization, visit propollinators.org.