The Amazing Juneberry

June 9th, 2023

As I write, this past week we had soberingly high air quality alerts from the wildfires in Canada. A plume of smoke and orange haze descended on the city where I live hitting as high as 447 ("hazardous for all age groups") on the air quality meter. 

And yet where I live, there is a forested area nearby. Philadelphia has been quite proactive in greening its streets, planting trees, working to implement greenways and parks, transforming abandoned lots and polluted waterways, and planting edible food forests. Not an easy feat for one of the more dense urban centers in the country. And yet there is still plenty of work needed to green parts of the city where infrastructure has been neglected for far too long, all too often in lower income areas or communities of color. With the events of the past few days with the smoke, I have been even more aware that it is the places with trees that tend to recover fastest as they filter and purify air and soil, taking even the microparticles and air pollutants and transforming them into stronger, more resilient growth. We must be grateful for these incredible air filterers. These resilience champions on our streets that must endure all manner of neglect, disrespect, and non-ideal conditions. And yet the trees grow. They embody resilience silently all around us. 

Juneberries are examples of just such a tree. The seeds sprout readily after a winter cold spell. These native trees are important food sources for all manner of animals and birds and people, too. They are small trees that fit incredibly well in urban settings, with lovely smooth gray bark in winter, little bursts of white flowers in spring, beautiful red-purple berries in early summer, and yellow to red leaves in the fall. They are a marvelous tree all year round!

This epic little tree produces edible berries: they taste much like blueberries with clusters growing from the branches, and coming ripe before any other wild blueberry in JUNE!!! Juneberry muffins and juneberry jam. Juneberries in sauces and juneberries for lunch. Juneberry rhubarb pie! They have bigger seeds than blueberries, but the seeds, too, are soft, edible, and faintly almond-tasting. What a treat for this time of year! 

The berries don't last as well as blueberries so they need to be eaten (by the mouthful) or frozen or preserved in some way. My favorite way to preserve them is to freeze them spread out in a single layer on a tray, then pour the frozen berries into a bag to store in the fridge. They are sweeter than blueberries, not tart at all, and the longer they stay on the tree, the more flavorful they become. These berries are fleeting, beautiful, and are a superfood hidden in our midst. 

What about urban contaminants? It's a good question, and yes... sadly many urban centers have contaminated soil. Here-in lies perhaps yet another opportunity for us to engage in grassroots earth repair. The more beneficial soil biology is in the soil, the more that biology can help bind up toxins and make them less available. The more diverse our own microbiomes in our guts, the more resilient we are as individuals to pathogens, disease and contaminants, in general. Decide what feels best for you. 

Also know that contaminants tend to accumulate less readily in fruits as compared with roots or leaves, and you are more likely to be exposed to contaminants via dust (Ex: I would wash off any collected fruit after this fire-induced haze we have had... at least until it rains!). Also, avoid trees that look sick... yellowing or sticky leaves. Sick or weaker plants are much more likely NOT to have the minerals or beneficial biology they need in the soil, and are more likely to take up soil contaminants instead of the mineral nutrition they really need. So notice if your trees are healthy. Maybe support them (if you are one of their local neighborhood caretakers) with sprinkling of a rock dust or sea minerals or seaweed mulch that is rich in micronutrients. Does the fruit look good? Use your judgement. Use your senses.

Practice caution and avoid areas where high levels of contamination are likely... right up against old buildings (lead paint) or areas with old, burned dumps, construction debris, fires or demolition sites. Be aware and use your body's senses, avoiding a tree's fruit if it tastes bitter or off somehow. Follow your instincts on what makes you feel comfortable, but don't let fear alone prevent you from enjoying these incredible, native fruits! 

Resources: 

The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a great read to learn more about this incredible native tree and how much it can teach us about abundance. https://emergencemagazine.org/essay/the-serviceberry/ 

Water in Plain Sight: Hope for a Thirsty World (book) by Judith D. Schwartz