Are you looking for a list of different kinds of berries? This article will provide just that.
What Are Berries?
Berries are far more than just the berries you know - strawberries or blueberries, for example. Making a list of different kinds of berries can include any berry that meets the botanical definition of the term, as well as fruits that are commonly referred to as berries which don't meet the classification. The botanical definition of a berry is any fruit that is produced from a single ovary. This group includes some fruits that are traditionally thought of as berries, and many other fleshy fruits.
Surprisingly, blueberries and cranberries, commonly known berries, are actually something classified botanically as "false berries". This is because the fruit is formed not only from the ovary, but also from other parts of the flower. Strawberries and raspberries also don't actually meet the botanical classification of a berry either, because they are formed from other parts of the flowers. As such, these "berries" fall into other classifications like drupes and aggregate fruits.
List of Different Kinds of Berries
Keeping the above definitions in mind, the following lists classify berries that meet the botanical definition, as well as other types of foods we refer to as berries. Unless indicated otherwise, all of the berries and fruits in the list of different kinds of berries are edible.
True Berries
True berries are fruits that meet the true, botanical classification of the word "berry".
- Grapes
- Elderberry
- Currant
- Barberry
- Honeysuckle (some of these berries are edible and others are poisonous)
- Oregon grape
- Nannyberry
- Gooseberry
- Mayapple
- Sea buckthorne
- Black currant
- Red currant
- Wild rose
- Rose hips
- Citrus fruits (although these are referred to as "juicy berries" or "modified berries")
Drupes
These berries are actually drupes. A drupe is a fleshy fruit with a small stone - commonly referred to as "stone fruits." They do not meet the botanical classification of berry; however, they are commonly thought of as berries:
- Acai
- Hackberry
- Sugarberry
- Persimmon
- Barbados cherry
- Acerola
- Indian plum
- West Indian cherry
- Goji berries
Epignyous Fruits
A number of this type of fruit are called a berry while not meeting the botanical definition.
- Ligonberry
- Cranberry
- Bearberry
- Crowberry
- Blueberry
- Berries from the strawberry tree (not the same as actual strawberries)
- Huckleberries
- Bilberry
- Whortleberry
- Juniper berries
- Cowberry
- Foxberry
- Mountain cranberry
- Red chokeberry
- Black chokeberry
- Purple chokeberry
Compound Fruits
The berries in this classification contain multiple fruit seeds:
- Raspberry
- Strawberry
- Blackberry
- Dewberry
- Salmonberry
- Bayberry
- Boysenberry
- Mulberry
- Cloudberry
- Chehalem berry
- Loganberry
- Thimbleberry
- Wineberry
- Youngberry
- Ollalieberry (a cross between loganberries and youngberries)
- Juneberries
- Saskaton berries
- Service berry
- Shade berry
- Marionberry (a cross between olallieberries and chealem berries)
- Tayberries (a cross between blackberries and raspberries)
Poisonous Berries
Botanical classifications aside, there are some berries that are poisonous. Below is a list of berries that range from mildly poisonous (causing gastric upset) to extremely poisonous (they can kill you.)
- Holly berries - hard, bright red berries, that grow on a holly plant
- European holly berries - grown on holly plants that have white flowers and red berries
- Yew berries - bright red berries with a hard green stone in the center that grown on an evergreen stub
- Privet berries - purple or blackberries that grow on flowering shrub like bushes
- Pokeberry - also known as pokeweed, and poke, these purple berries grow on plants with a greenish white flower
- Daphne berries - these berries grown on sweet smelling daphne plants with green or pink flowers that grow in small clusters
- Elderberry - while elderberrys can be bluish red, red or blackberries with cream colored flowers. Only the bright red elderberries are poisonous. The purple elderberries are used medicinally and in food products. The roots, stems and leaves of the elderberries, are used medicinally and must be used correctly, so please use caution.
- Jerusalem cherry - berries with an appearance that is similar to a cherry tomato
- Actea Pachypoda - also known as doll's eyes because their appearance is similar to a doll's eye. The white berries have a black dot in them. The plant has white flowers.
- Ivy berries - small, dark purple to black colored berries that grow on a tall creeping ivy plant
- Mistletoe berries - small, hard, red berries found on mistletoe
- Baneberry - small, shiny, hard red or white berries common to the Pacific Northwest
- Red nightshade - red berries that grow on a weedy plant
- Green nightshade - green berries that grow on a weedy plant
As you can see, there are a number of types of berries - both true berries and those fruits that are commonly thought of as berries, but aren't. With the exception of the poisonous fruits listed above, berries can be a healthy and delicious part of your diet.
