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A Forager’s Year

No. 43

Plant of the month: July

Wineberry

Rubus phoenicolasius

Fruit ripe berries

Drawing: L. H. Bailey, Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture (1914–17)

Find
Common in the right habitat
Effort
Grab & eat
ID risk
Beginner
Origin
non-native ★★★
Safety marks
  • Spray risk
Uses
  • Eat raw / salad
  • Baking & desserts
  • Jam & jelly
  • Juice & drinks
  • Dried fruit & leather

Season

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

in season peak

What these mean

Find

1 Everywhere · 2 Common in the right habitat · 3 Patchy · 4 Elusive. This is about how much there is, not whether you may pick it. It is based on iNaturalist sightings within 25 km (about 15 miles) of downtown DC, counted on October 3, 2026. The four rules that each plant’s “Find” reason refers to: (A) the estimate is the confirmed sightings, plus the unconfirmed ones (scaled down where the plant has lookalikes in its genus), plus the sightings marked as planted; (B) the tier by estimate: 1,500 or more is tier 1, 250–1,499 tier 2, 50–249 tier 3, under 50 tier 4; (C) tier 1, Everywhere, also needs a source saying the plant is common in lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots or towns, or at least one DC street tree of it per km of sidewalk, otherwise it is tier 2; (D) if a reliable source says the plant is rare in this region, or that wild plants rarely bear the harvest, only planted sightings count. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Effort

1 Grab & eat · 2 Quick kitchen prep (under about 30 minutes) · 3 Real work (hours, or cooking needed for safety) · 4 Project (days or equipment). Scored on the simplest worthwhile use; each plant’s page says why.

ID risk

How hard it is to harvest safely. Beginner: no dangerous lookalike, and the edible part is not easily confused with a toxic part. Careful: a toxic lookalike, or toxic parts that end up in the harvest unless removed (for example elderberry stems, unripe ground cherries), or other parts of the plant rated medium-or-higher toxicity, with reliable features to separate them. Expert only: a potentially deadly lookalike that is hard to separate, or (for not-recommended harvests like pokeweed) a plant whose safe preparation can’t be guaranteed. Toxic parts that are obviously separate and thrown away anyway (pits, seeds, skins) don’t raise it; the Toxic parts mark carries that warning.

Native or not, and the invader stars

Origin is where the plant comes from: native, non-native, or mixed (the harvest covers both). The stars rate plants on invasive plant lists: ★★★ Virginia DCR “High” or Maryland prohibited invasive · ★★ Virginia “Medium” · ★ Virginia “Low” · ☆ listed only by the Maryland Invasive Species Council or the Mid-Atlantic Plant Invaders guide (advisory) · no stars: native or not listed.

Safety marks and flags

Deadly lookalike / Toxic lookalike: a cited source names a lookalike of that danger. Deadly means a source says eating it may be fatal or calls it deadly, or NC State rates it high severity with life-threatening symptoms (sources sometimes disagree; for example Virginia creeper). Each plant’s Lookalikes list says how to tell them apart; “harmless (may be edible)” lookalikes are listed so you know a mix-up isn’t dangerous. Cook first: cooking is needed for safety (for daylilies it is a precaution, not a sourced requirement). Eat in moderation: a source says to limit quantity or frequency (for example oxalates in sorrels and dock, ginkgotoxin, safrole). Spray risk: a source says the plant is commonly treated with herbicide in parks or lawns (invasive control, lawn weeds) or, for ginkgo, sprayed to stop fruiting. Contamination: a source says the plant concentrates pollutants. Each plant’s Safety flags list gives the details and sources.

Seasons

Start, peak and end are given in thirds of a month: early, mid or late. A plant counts as in season for a month if it is in season at any point in that month. Some greens and roots have a second window, in spring or fall; their page shows each window. A season that runs across New Year is shown as one window.

What it looks like

An Asian bramble with arching canes up to about 9 ft long, covered in dense, sticky, reddish hairs rather than stout thorns. Each leaf has three broad, toothed leaflets with silvery-white undersides. The fruit develops inside a hairy husk (calyx) that opens as it ripens, and the berry turns a bright, glossy red. It is sweet-tart like a raspberry, pulls off easily, and leaves a yellowish cone behind.

Safety

None notable. No toxic lookalikes among the red raspberry-type brambles. The red hairy canes and the husk around the fruit identify it. Canes carry small prickles.

Safety flags

Safety marks and flags: what this means

Deadly lookalike / Toxic lookalike: a cited source names a lookalike of that danger. Deadly means a source says eating it may be fatal or calls it deadly, or NC State rates it high severity with life-threatening symptoms (sources sometimes disagree; for example Virginia creeper). Each plant’s Lookalikes list says how to tell them apart; “harmless (may be edible)” lookalikes are listed so you know a mix-up isn’t dangerous. Cook first: cooking is needed for safety (for daylilies it is a precaution, not a sourced requirement). Eat in moderation: a source says to limit quantity or frequency (for example oxalates in sorrels and dock, ginkgotoxin, safrole). Spray risk: a source says the plant is commonly treated with herbicide in parks or lawns (invasive control, lawn weeds) or, for ginkgo, sprayed to stop fruiting. Contamination: a source says the plant concentrates pollutants. Each plant’s Safety flags list gives the details and sources.

ID risk
Beginner
Why
No toxic lookalikes among the red raspberry-type brambles; the red-haired canes and the husk around the fruit identify it.
Handling hazards
Thorns (minor)
Soil risk
low
ID risk: what this means

How hard it is to harvest safely. Beginner: no dangerous lookalike, and the edible part is not easily confused with a toxic part. Careful: a toxic lookalike, or toxic parts that end up in the harvest unless removed (for example elderberry stems, unripe ground cherries), or other parts of the plant rated medium-or-higher toxicity, with reliable features to separate them. Expert only: a potentially deadly lookalike that is hard to separate, or (for not-recommended harvests like pokeweed) a plant whose safe preparation can’t be guaranteed. Toxic parts that are obviously separate and thrown away anyway (pits, seeds, skins) don’t raise it; the Toxic parts mark carries that warning.

Handling hazards: what this means

Stings, thorns, irritating or phototoxic sap, staining hulls and spiny husks, with a severity: minor = brief discomfort; moderate = rash or blisters lasting days; serious = burns, scarring or medical care possible.

Soil risk: what this means

Based on the part you eat, following the urban-soil lead guidance on the Field safety page: higher for greens, shoots and roots; moderate for flowers; low for fruit, nuts and sap.

Field safety for every outing (poison ivy, ticks, soil, and more)

When to pick

Starts
late Jun
Peak
late Jun–early Jul
Ends
early Aug

Wineberry ripens in June and July (Maryland Invasive Species Council). Maryland DNR and the Forest Service’s FEIS review give a season that can run into August, but in DC most berries ripen in the last week of June and the first half of July, and August pickings are stragglers. Ripe berries are bright, clear red and come off with a gentle tug, leaving a yellowish cone behind (Natural History Society of Maryland). They keep only a day or two, so eat, cook, freeze or dehydrate them quickly (Natural History Society of Maryland).

How the dates were worked out

Every start, peak and end was re-checked in October 2026. “Sourced” means a source opened during the check states that timing for the DC or Mid-Atlantic area. “Estimated” means no source states it exactly; the reason, the evidence and the source links are under “How the dates were worked out” on each plant’s page. Peaks are often estimated, because few sources name a peak. iNaturalist evidence means research-grade sightings near DC, by month, of the plant at that stage (for example, in fruit). iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Season basis: estimated: end

Start

sourced

Peak

sourced

End

estimated: Two regional sources run the season into August, but DC observations show almost nothing after mid-July, so the end is set at early August as a straggler tail rather than late August.

Evidence

start: Maryland Invasive Species Council: fruit 'ripens to a bright, clear red in June and July'. DC iNaturalist research-grade fruiting records jump from 4/week in early-mid June to 21 in the week of Jun 18-24 and 30 in Jun 25-Jul 1. | peak: DC iNaturalist fruiting records by week: Jun 18-24: 21, Jun 25-Jul 1: 30, Jul 2-8: 19, Jul 9-15: 14, Jul 16-22: 2. MISC gives June-July; Natural History Society of Maryland (July 5, 2020 post) describes June and July as berry season. | end: FEIS (summarizing Smithsonian Environmental Research Center work in Maryland): 'fruit production occurs in late June to August'. Maryland DNR (2024): fruit 'from June to the end of the summer'. DC iNaturalist fruiting records stop after the week of Jul 16-22 (0 in August, 1 stray in late September).

Where to look

Thickets along woods edges and trails; pick freely on the C&O Canal towpath (no limit), while Rock Creek Park and Wheaton Regional Park, two of the three places where it is logged most, ban picking (the National Zoo, the other, is a federal facility: ask first); Wolf Trap allows 'raspberries' but does not name wineberry, so ask there.

Habitats
disturbed ground & waste places, vacant lots, old fields & meadows, woods edges, trailsides & thickets, floodplain & stream-valley forest
Habitats: what this means

Listed where the plant’s own sources place it in that habitat. “Disturbed ground & waste places” means a cited source places it on disturbed areas, sites, soil or ground, on waste places or waste ground, on construction or abandoned building sites (old home sites count), on rubble or in strip mines. When the source gives examples of the disturbed places, at least one example must be of that kind. Examples that do not count: natural or forestry disturbance (treefall gaps, fire, windthrow, flood scour, old riverbanks and creeks, clear-cuts); roadsides, railroads and rights-of-way; and abandoned fields, pastures and farmland, which are “Old fields & meadows”. “Vacant lots” only where a source says vacant or empty lots.

Most-logged places

You may pick here

  • C&O Canal NHP (towpath, Georgetown to Great Falls MD and beyond)

    156 sightings · Legal to pick: yes · see them on iNaturalist

    Legal to pick under the C&O Canal compendium (by hand, personal use, daily limit; trail-side only at Great Falls MD). Of these, 17 are at Carderock.

Ask first: rules unclear or not checked

  • Smithsonian National Zoo

    205 sightings · Legal to pick: unknown · see them on iNaturalist

    Picking rules not checked. A federal facility, so ask before picking anything.

No picking here (3 places)
  • Rock Creek Park

    632 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: Rock Creek Park’s compendium bans gathering any fruit, nut, berry, seed or greenery.

  • Wheaton Regional Park

    211 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: Montgomery/Prince George’s parks (M-NCPPC) ban harvesting vegetation without a permit.

  • Rock Creek Regional Park (MD)

    150 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: Montgomery/Prince George’s parks (M-NCPPC) ban harvesting vegetation without a permit.

Most-logged places: what this means

The places with the most research-grade iNaturalist sightings within 25 km of downtown DC (re-counted in October 2026 over every named place, campuses, condominiums and private grounds included), each marked legal to pick or not. A sighting inside several named places counts once, for the smallest of them, but a sighting inside a National Park Service park never counts for a private, campus or unchecked place. iNaturalist shows where people walk and log plants, not true abundance. Private campuses, condominiums, museums, estates and utility land (Pepco’s power-line land near Sligo Creek) are marked “no” (pick only with the owner’s permission); public university campuses, city parks and other places whose picking rules were not checked (county stormwater land, the U.S. Capitol Grounds, Greenbelt’s North Woods, federal facilities such as the National Zoo) are “unknown”. A place needs at least 2 sightings, so plants with very few sightings (rugosa rose) have no places. No most-logged places are named for at-risk plants (ramps, chinquapin, American chestnut); chinquapin’s page names Mason Neck State Park, where picking is legal, and asks you to leave most nuts. For some places, mostly Rock Creek Park, the iNaturalist map shows more sightings than the count here, because a map link cannot leave out exactly the sightings credited to another place. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Ways to use it

  • eat fresh
  • pie
  • cobbler
  • jam/preserves
  • sorbet
  • cocktails
  • freeze or dehydrate

Keeping

Freeze or cook them within 1-2 days of picking.

Use within
within a few days
Keeps fresh
Short shelf life (NHSM). General guidance for raspberries: refrigerate unwashed in a single layer between paper towels and use within 1-3 days (USU; Purdue says 1-2 days).
Canning
no tested recipe: refrigerate or freeze, don’t can
Keeping basis
general guidance for its type

Ways to keep it

  • Dry as researched: dry/dehydrate; canning: n/a (not shelf-canned)

    Dehydrating is a recommended way to store them (NHSM).

  • Freeze as researched: freeze; canning: n/a (not shelf-canned)

    Tray-freeze in a single layer, then pack, as for raspberries (NCHFP); best quality about 8-12 months.

  • Jam/jelly as researched: jam/jelly; canning: no tested recipe — refrigerate or freeze

    Cook as raspberry jam. Wineberry is not named in NCHFP’s tested canning lists, so refrigerate or freeze the jam.

Canning: what this means

Shelf-stable canning, three levels. Lab-tested: a lab-tested recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) or Oregon State covers this fruit and product, or a generic recipe for its kind (the line says so, for example chokeberry). Extension recipe: a published Extension recipe (University of Alaska Fairbanks, written for Alaska species; University of Maine’s dandelion jelly), or a process that is safe only with a pH meter; follow it exactly, never improvise. No tested recipe: refrigerate or freeze, don’t can. “Hot-bottled syrup” = maple and walnut syrup, which keep when bottled hot at full syrup density. The Canning line names the exact product each source covers, for example “whole berries” or “juice”; a product not named there (such as juice from a berry with only a whole-berry recipe) has no tested recipe.

Keeping basis: what this means

“Specific to this plant” or “general guidance for its type” (for example NCHFP guidance for leafy greens applied to a wild green).

Nutrition

How much of a day’s needs one standard serving (140 g) provides, using the FDA’s daily values and serving sizes. The FDA calls 20% or more “high” and 10–19% a “good source”. Every figure below is listed with its source; where the sources disagree, all of them are shown and no conclusion is drawn.

No nutrient measurements were found of the fresh part you eat.

What was searched
  • Europe PMC: searched 2026-10-09, 2 records; 2 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
  • PubMed: searched 2026-10-09, 1 records; 1 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
  • OpenAlex: searched 2026-10-09, 13 records; 13 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
  • Crossref: searched 2026-10-09, 14 records; 13 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
  • J-STAGE (Japan): searched 2026-10-09, 36 records; 36 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
  • USDA FoodData Central (online search): searched 2026-10-09, 0 records; 0 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
  • USDA FoodData Central (downloaded SR Legacy 2018 and Foundation 2026 tables): searched 2026-10-09, 0 records; 0 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
  • All databases together: 66 records from all databases, 61 unique, 0 candidates, 0 read, 0 used; 0 not read (paywalled 0, blocked automated access 0, not online 0)
  • KCI (Korea), CNKI (China), SciELO (Latin America), CORE, USDA’s AGRICOLA and PubAg, Google Scholar, and national food composition tables other than USDA’s: not searched (October 2026).

The counts are of papers new in this search. Sources found before this search (such as USDA’s entries) were not counted again.

Each database was searched for the plant’s scientific and common names together with nutrient words (composition, nutrient, vitamin, mineral, fiber, protein and others), in titles and abstracts only. Papers that don’t name the plant there, and words not on the list (such as fat, energy and moisture), were missed unless another paper led to them; the AI researchers found some that way.

Collected in October 2026 by AI research agents, following written rules; the calendar’s figures were then checked independently.

Native or not

Origin
non-native
Native range
East Asia (eastern Asia, Korea, Japan)
Invader credit
★★★
Virginia invasive rank
High
Maryland invasive status
Advisory (MISC list)
Native or not, and the invader stars: what this means

Origin is where the plant comes from: native, non-native, or mixed (the harvest covers both). The stars rate plants on invasive plant lists: ★★★ Virginia DCR “High” or Maryland prohibited invasive · ★★ Virginia “Medium” · ★ Virginia “Low” · ☆ listed only by the Maryland Invasive Species Council or the Mid-Atlantic Plant Invaders guide (advisory) · no stars: native or not listed.

Virginia DCR, Virginia Invasive Plant Species List (effective September 2024), verbatim: "Under the DCR Invasive Species Assessment Protocol, approved by the Virginia Invasive Species Working Group, January 2024, species were ranked as exhibiting high, medium or low levels of invasiveness based on their threat to natural communities and native species. Invasiveness rank is higher for species that: • Alter ecosystem processes, such as succession, hydrology or fire regime. • Are capable of invading undisturbed natural communities. • Cause substantial impacts on rare or vulnerable species or natural communities or high-quality examples of more common communities. • Are found widely distributed and generally abundant where present. • Disperse readily to new areas. • Are difficult to control." The list also states: "The list is for educational purposes only and has no regulatory authority."

Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant Law and Regulations page, verbatim: "Plants on the Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List may not be added to stock after the effective date and should not be sold after their phase-out period ends."

No official DC invasive plant list was found.

How the ratings were set

Find
Common in the right habitat Estimate 5,064 = 4,984 research-grade iNaturalist sightings within 25 km + 78 needs-ID sightings counted at 93% (in the October 5 genus count, 4,985 of the 5,347 research-grade Rubus sightings here were wineberry) + 7 'cultivated' (planted) sightings (rule A); that is tier 1 by count (rule B). Rule C: none of its sources says it is common in, or a weed of, an everyday place (lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots, towns), so it cannot be tier 1 (Everywhere). Final tier 2.
Effort
Grab & eat Pick ripe berries from the husk and eat; pies, jam and freezing are extra.
Find: what this means

1 Everywhere · 2 Common in the right habitat · 3 Patchy · 4 Elusive. This is about how much there is, not whether you may pick it. It is based on iNaturalist sightings within 25 km (about 15 miles) of downtown DC, counted on October 3, 2026. The four rules that each plant’s “Find” reason refers to: (A) the estimate is the confirmed sightings, plus the unconfirmed ones (scaled down where the plant has lookalikes in its genus), plus the sightings marked as planted; (B) the tier by estimate: 1,500 or more is tier 1, 250–1,499 tier 2, 50–249 tier 3, under 50 tier 4; (C) tier 1, Everywhere, also needs a source saying the plant is common in lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots or towns, or at least one DC street tree of it per km of sidewalk, otherwise it is tier 2; (D) if a reliable source says the plant is rare in this region, or that wild plants rarely bear the harvest, only planted sightings count. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Effort: what this means

1 Grab & eat · 2 Quick kitchen prep (under about 30 minutes) · 3 Real work (hours, or cooking needed for safety) · 4 Project (days or equipment). Scored on the simplest worthwhile use; each plant’s page says why.

Sources

25 sources, each linked to the original.

  1. C&O Canal NHP Superintendent’s Compendium, effective September 11, 2026 National Park Service, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHPBacks up: picking rules
  2. Rock Creek Park Superintendent’s Compendium (2026) National Park Service, Rock Creek ParkBacks up: picking rules
  3. Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Compendium of Regulatory Provisions (2026 ver. 6/5/2026) National Park Service, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing ArtsBacks up: picking rules
  4. Invasives in Your Woodland: Wineberry University of Maryland ExtensionBacks up: description, habitat, picking rules
  5. Rubus phoenicolasius (Wineberry) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: description, uses, native or invasive status
  6. Seeking the Super Six Summer Fruits Virginia Department of Wildlife ResourcesBacks up: effort & ID risk
  7. iNaturalist research-grade observations of Rubus phoenicolasius within 25 km of downtown DC iNaturalistBacks up: findability
  8. How to Preserve Berries Utah State University ExtensionBacks up: keeping
  9. Raspberry (FoodLink produce sheet) Purdue Extension FoodLinkBacks up: keeping
  10. Freezing Raspberries National Center for Home Food Preservation (Univ. of Georgia)Backs up: keeping
  11. How Long Can I Store Frozen Foods National Center for Home Food Preservation (Univ. of Georgia)Backs up: keeping
  12. USDA PLANTS Database: Rubus phoenicolasius (RUPH), native status USDA NRCSBacks up: native or invasive status
  13. Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, Field Guide (Swearingen & Fulton, 2022; successor to the NPS/USFWS 5th ed., 2017) Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council / Passiflora Press (hosted by Bugwood/Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool)Backs up: native or invasive status
  14. Invasive Plant List (Tier 1, Tier 2 and 'Additional plants considered'; last updated January 19, 2023; superseded) Maryland Department of AgricultureBacks up: native or invasive status
  15. Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant Law and Regulations (Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List, updated January 2026; additions effective July 15, 2026; 'Next Plants To Be Assessed' 2026-2027) Maryland Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection & Weed ManagementBacks up: native or invasive status
  16. Non-Native Invasive Terrestrial Plant Species in the State of Maryland (updates approved through the April 18, 2024 MISC meeting) Maryland Invasive Species CouncilBacks up: native or invasive status
  17. Invasive Plants in the District DC Department of Energy & EnvironmentBacks up: native or invasive status
  18. Virginia Invasive Plant Species List (effective date: September 2024) Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural HeritageBacks up: native or invasive status, safety details
  19. Invasive Shrub Control University of Maryland ExtensionBacks up: safety details
  20. Integrated Pest Management Program Montgomery Parks (M-NCPPC)Backs up: safety details
  21. Suggested Budget Guidance - Invasive Plant Removal and Restoration (letter, Nov. 18, 2025) Arlington County Park and Recreation CommissionBacks up: safety details
  22. Rubus phoenicolasius (Innes 2009), Fire Effects Information System USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System (FEIS)Backs up: season, description, habitat
  23. Invasive Plant of the Month: Wineberry (Sept 2006) Maryland Invasive Species CouncilBacks up: season, description, habitat, picking rules
  24. Wineberries are a tasty treat and a lesson in invasive species management (2024) Maryland Department of Natural ResourcesBacks up: season, description, uses, picking rules
  25. The Foraged Berries Series: How to Identify and Harvest Wineberries Natural History Society of MarylandBacks up: season, description, uses, storage, keeping