Thanks for the education.
I thought it was some european thing - I hadn't had a clue about it!

AND for the bees!

Is it invasive as raspberry bushes are? I love berries but am afraid they might take over my garden -- as the horsetail has.

Oberon46 said:Is it invasive as raspberry bushes are? I love berries but am afraid they might take over my garden -- as the horsetail has.

No, not at all. It doesn't spread. It really is not any different from an ornamental shrub you might plant in your garden in that respect.

These berries are excellent for cooking for those that love to make jelly or jams. But I love to just eat them fresh.

I've chosen no cultivar, so I have my "want" on the general entry, which doesn't list size.
Roughly how big is it?

crittergarden said:I've chosen no cultivar, so I have my "want" on the general entry, which doesn't list size.
Roughly how big is it?

They grow between 3 to 5 feet tall. I's say most are about 4 feet tall. A mature shrub is simply loaded with fruit clusters.

I've been looking for something to replace a rhododendron that I hate (only because I hate pink) and that sounds like a pretty good choice. It's on a slope on the low side of a retaining wall so I wanted to have something with ample roots. Might as well be edible!

II'm so glad your article was posted today!

I love shrubs that produce edible fruits! Of course I like ones that attract the backyard songbirds also. And I have seen the Catbirds eating these berries.

I don't mind sharing with the birds.
I'll eat what they leave me!

crittergarden said:I don't mind sharing with the birds.
I'll eat what they leave me!

They will leave plenty. Its just that they will eat those berries. To me this is a good thing as I like to attract Catbirds to my garden.

yes!

At my first house, where I had an apple tree, I often cut around bird pecks.
Had to harvest before the raccoons came though and just knocked them ALL off the tree, eatiing only some.