Where The Wild Fruit Grows: Manhattan!

Last year we took a little look back at Wildman Steve Brill's foraging tour when one blogger made an entire salad after hearing his edible plant tips. The cherry on top came in the form of an apple, picked right from a tree behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today, NYC the Blog points to more free fruit growing right in Manhattan—delicious wild blackberries, to be exact.

Spotted on West 44th Street between 10th and 11th: a blackberry bush growing by the Amtrak tracks. And according to this website, Manhattan is home to plenty of berry bushes and peach trees. There's even an iPhone app to help you locate them—we checked it out, and there really are a lot of fruit trees around. But would you eat from them?

For the adventurous, we suggest hitting up Union Square Park for some free green before sinking your teeth into any of the city's edible offerings. And for dessert, try a honeysuckle! They're everywhere, and have a delicious edible nectar.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Food on June 15, 2010 1:36 PM

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Ishtar

Not to sound like a spoiled Californian, but this is one of the wonderful things I miss about home. There was fruit all year all over the neighborhood I grew up in. All we had to do was ask any neighbor if we could pick from their orange/lemon/lime/apple/kumquat/cherry/plum/apricot tree or blackberry bushes. I'm not so sure I would pick anything growing near an Amtrak station/rail, though.