The Berry Look-Alikes

A story from Buddy & Richie’s Field Guide to Plants

Underneath the wild cherry tree, right near the base of the trunk, grew a young hawthorn. It had a few small red berries—haw berries—just starting to ripen.

Richie looked at them with interest. “They look just like the cherries!”

Buddy stepped closer and gave a little sniff. “They’re hawthorn. Not cherries. And just because something looks the same doesn’t mean it is.”

Richie tilted his head. “But are they bad?”

“Not really,” said Buddy. “Hawthorn is a friend to the heart. But they’re not for us—not now, not raw. They’re tart, and not all red berries are friendly.”

They left the hawthorn be.

A few days later, on a hedgerow walk, Richie spotted some giant rose hips—fat, bright, and inviting.

“I want to try one!” Richie bounced.

Buddy shook his head. “Those are full of tiny hairs—itching powder on the inside! If you eat them raw, your tummy might get itchy from the inside out.”

Richie backed away. “No thank you!”

Buddy smiled. “You’re learning. Some berries are OK—*but only if our human says so.*”

They carried on walking, tails wagging, leaving the berries to the birds.

“Some berries are friends, and some just wear disguises.” – Buddy