Tayberries, Marionberries, Honeyberries.....Oh my!

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terri_emory Alba, TX(Zone 8a) Feb 09, 2011

Well, since the weather outside is frightning, my fellow workers either didn't show up at all or are leaving early, and the UPS drivers cannot make it here today............of course I'm browsing the web. DH and I have been planting out blueberries and blackberries in our berry garden. Now we are looking at some berries a little off the beaten path for here in NE Texas. But will still grow well and be happy plants. I'm in zone 8a w/sandy-loam soil. Good drainage. Strawberries alreay planted (if they live).

Will tayberries, marionberries, honeyberries do OK here? What the heck is a goumi berry?

Any suggestions for a berry that would suit for fresh eating or jelly/jam/preserve making will be duly considered =D!

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jujubetexas San Marcos, TX(Zone 8b) Feb 09, 2011

I am trying Honeyberries but they do fry in the heat and require quite a bit of chill.

Goumi is just an Elaeagnus berry. It is supposed to be less invasive than other Elaeagnus. I have grown them in my yard for a few years. The fruit needs to be dead ripe before you can eat it and it tastes like watermelon. The Silverberry Elaeagnus is much easier to find in local nuseries and has sterile seeds so it cant be invasive at all. Autumn Olive and Russian Olive are also in that group but they are very invasive.

If you have acid soil, you should try Huckleberries and Serviceberry.


This message was edited Feb 9, 2011 5:13 PM

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krowten Greensburg, PA Feb 09, 2011

Honeyberries do like cold winters. Silverberries don't do well here because it gets too cold, but I think jujubetexas is giving good advice regarding them for someone in texas. I am a fan of Autumn Olive, which do well in my zone but are a bit more tart than goumi.

A "heads-up" to everybody with an interest in goumi. I've had several cases of goumi plants purchased from "famous" highly rated mail-order nurseries in the Northwest that have been misidentified (they were actually autumn olive) over the past decade. Hopefully they are cleaning up their stock, but be careful when purchasing goumi to make sure they are spring fruiting (goumi fruits in the spring, autumn olive fruits ripen in the fall). Make sure that your nursery knows the difference. One of the NW nurseries even has in the catalog that their goumi fruit in the fall, which is not correct.

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terri_emory Alba, TX(Zone 8a) Feb 10, 2011

Thanks, jujubetexas for the good advice and drowten, too.

I try to purchase as much as I can local/regional, but I do browse those NW nurseries' online catalogs.

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