By: Orli Schwartz, Shoresh Intern 2014

One day Choni HaM’agel was journeying on the road and he saw a man planting acarob tree; he asked him, “How long does it take for this tree to bear fruit?” The man replied, “Seventy years.” So he asked him, “Are you certain that you will live another seventy years?” To which the man replied, “I found ready-grown carob trees in the world, so just as my ancestors planted these for me, I too plant these for my children.”(Ta’anis 23b)

There are tons of edible trees and bushes that grow around your neighbourhood inthe summer. On my street are these three large mulberry tree’s lining my neighbors driveway that provide me with a tasty snack while on my way to work, and tend to draw in the children as they play on the street! Outdoor edibles are a great way to enhance any backyard or garden and allow your family and many small foraging animals to enjoy fruit throughout the summer.

Here are 5 outdoor edibles I encourage you to find or plant in your neighbourhood- just make sure it is okay with your neighbours before sampling the fruit from their trees, even though the fruit is outside it does not mean it is available for everyone!

1. Apples

I have an apple tree in my back yard that produces fruit between August to late September giving us all decent sized apples to snack on- even the dog like to chew on them! These trees are probably the easiest to identify by the fruit they bare. They have a beautiful flower bloom at the end of June and provide great shade for any yard. Best of all the apples taste great and arrive just in time for Rosh Hashana! Local apples taste delicious with Shoresh’s honey from Bela Farm.  (Note: This tree requires maintenance, as you have to collect fallen apples).

2. Elderberries

**Warning: ONLY EDIBLE WHEN COOKED** these trees carry small black-blueish berries that are poisonous unless they are picked when ripe and cooked. Elderberries have many health benefits from lowering cholesterol to boosting your immune system. The trees are large with green leaves and the berries grow in clusters. The tree also contains white flowers that are commonly used to make elderflower cordial, a soft drink containing refined sugar and water. I encourage you to look up different recipes that require elderflowers and elderberries.

3. Mulberries

These trees are probably the most common in neighbourhoods and are usually planted in the front yard. The berries are similar to a blackberry, and the trees have thick trunks with giant green leaves. They do not grow too tall but provide ample shade. The berries start out white then gradually turn red and finally black. They are only sweet when extremely dark. Not only will you love these sweet tasting berries, but birds and silkworms enjoy them too! (Keep in mind that not all mulberry trees produce fruit, depending on their gender)-(This tree requires maintenance, as you have to collect lots of fallen fruit, which tends to stain the driveway or sidewalk until a rainfall washes it away)

4. Apricots

These trees are similar to apple trees, also producing a lovely bloom, large and shady green leaves. They produce bountiful amounts of soft apricots, which can be eaten fresh or dried to your liking. I have not noticed too many of these in the GTA, mostly in Toronto around the Danforth area. These are by far my favourite trees, I highly recommend planting one in your yard and making apricot sangria all summer long! (This tree requires maintenance, as you have to collect lots of fallen fruit)

5. Sour Cherries

The red cherries they produce easily identify these tall trees, but I would not recommend eating them off the tree. This tree is perfect to plant if you enjoy baking. Sour cherries are the type you commonly use to bake pies or make a filling. Sweet cherries will loose their flavour when used in cooking, so the sour cherries are more ideal. This type of tree is a bit more high maintenance than the others that were mentioned, as tons of cherries fall around the tree.

Outdoor edible fruits are nature’s treats for your family to enjoy, cook with and eat over the summer months. I strongly encourage you to plant one of these trees in your backyard to benefit from. If you would like to learn more about edibles found in your neighbourhood in Toronto or the GTA, please check out the organization LEAF. They provide edible tree tours that help familiarize you with different fruit bearing trees.