While backpacking, I frequently wonder if I could eat the berries I encounter. I know I can eat the blackberries but I’m unsure about everything else.
I looked it up, and it turns out that in the Sierra Nevada, where I do most of my backpacking, there are several edible berries and nuts. To help with identification, I made the collage and table below. Everything is ripe July-September, and outside those months there isn’t much else. I’m particularly curious about pine nuts, which I’ve never thought about collecting before learning that they’re edible. Apparently, it’s possible to collect more than 20 pounds of pinyon seeds in a single day if the squirrels don’t get them first.
| Species | Risk of Confusion | Identification |
| Blackberry (Rubus ursinus) | Low – Readily distinguished; only real risk is confusion with non-palatable dewberry relatives (still edible) | Thorny/wiry cane, classic blackberry |
| Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) | Moderate – Can resemble chokecherry (Prunus virginiana, astringent but not deadly); leaves and growth habit differ | Smooth bark; blueberry-like fruit |
| Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) | Low – Large, raspberry-like, no dangerous look-alikes in Tahoe region | Thornless, fuzzy leaves, large lobed leaf, hollow red berry |
| Sierra Currant (Ribes nevadense) | Low-Moderate – Could be confused with toxic wolf currant (Ribes wolfii, not common locally) or elderberry (raw red elderberry is mildly toxic); both differ in leaf/cluster structure | Blue-black clusters, waxy texture |
| Manzanita berries (Arctostaphylos spp.) | Low | Distinctive urn-shaped flowers |
| Mountain Gooseberry (Ribes montigenum) | Low – No poisonous mimics, but unpleasant if mistaken for less edible gooseberries | Bristly red/orange berry on spines |
| Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca, F. virginiana) | Low – No dangerous look-alikes in this region | |
| Pine nuts Jeffrey (Pinus jeffreyi), Ponderosa (P. ponderosa), Pinyon (P. monophylla) | Low – but your fingers may get poked | Jeffrey: 3 needles (5-10″) per bundle, cones 6-10 inches and heavy, with spines that curve inward, common at 5,000-9,000 feet Ponderosa: 3 needles (5-10″) to a bundle, cones 3-4″. Found at 500-3,500 feet Pinyon: One stout needle (1-2″) per bundle, cones 2-3 inches, with large edible seeds, found at 4,000-7,000 feet but only on Eastern slopes |
Nehaveigur 