What are those berry-like things I'm seeing in Lincoln Park?

[Jeannie]

During some of my recent walks, I’ve noticed lots of round, red berry-like “things” on the ground. They have a bumpy surface, sort of like a strawberry, with a bright yellow flesh inside. No, I’m not about to taste them! ; )
But are they related to chestnuts, or what?
I feel dumb for not knowing what they are!

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[JanS]

how big are they?

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[anonyme]

Jeannie, those sound like dogwood fruits. They look kind of like the thing that Horton picked up that contained Whoville (Dr. Seuss, “Horton Hears a Who”).

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[anonyme]

Almost forgot, they could also be the fruit of Arbutus (strawberry tree), but dogwood is much more common in Lincoln Park.

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[Jeannie]

Thanks, anonyme and JanS! Re the size, they’re spherical and a little larger than a cherry – more the size of those mini-kiwis I’ve seen in supermarkets. I googled both Arbutus and dogwood; judging from the photos online, I think it’s the former. I saw them on the south part of the lower trail, just past all the picnic shelters.

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[Bonnie]

I believe they are from dogwoods. We have them in front of our house, which reminds me that we need to do some sweeping!

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[Jeannie]

Mystery solved! I observed the long, narrow leaves and the clusters of tiny white bell-shaped flowers, and, based on matching images online, I am 99 percent sure it was an Arbutus. Per Wikipedia, “Members of the genus are called madrones or madronas in the United States, from the Spanish name madroño (strawberry tree).”
Apparently, the berries are edible but not very tasty. Better to leave them for the birds and other critters.

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[biankat]

I noticed these same berries in my neighborhood recently for the first time. Wondered what they were too! Very cool looking 🙂

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[JoB]

has anyone else noticed how abundant the “fruit” of our local trees is this year?

the squirrels are happy campers

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[Author]

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