This autumn could see a bumper crop of wild fruits and berries for wildlife – and for people keen to get out into the countryside to enjoy the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”, the National Trust said yesterday.
The good spring and early summer led to a potentially excellent autumn for fruiting plants and, weather permitting, there should be plenty of blackberries, hawthorn, holly, spindleberries, sloes and rosehips, according to the Trust’s conservation adviser Matthew Oates.
Mr Oates said rain earlier in the season spoiled previous waves of blackberry fruits, with berries rotting on the bushes, but there was now a good blackberry crop.
He said there would be plenty for wildlife to eat ahead of winter – and also encouraged people to get out to enjoy the autumn and some of the natural harvest by picking berries where they could.
People were welcome to pick wild fruit and berries – which could be used to make jam, crumbles and even, in the case of sloes, gin – on National Trust land, he said.
“Autumn in our culture is quite important. It’s our last chance to draw in the beauty of nature before the drear of winter. It’s a last chance saloon,” he said.
“This autumn, in addition to the beautiful autumn tints, we will have a lot of autumn fruits and seeds around, really as a result of the good spring and early and high summer.”
But the bumper crop of holly berries reflects good weather earlier in the year, and does not foretell a perishingly cold winter, he said.
“There’s plenty for wildlife to eat this autumn – grey squirrels will fatten up nicely, so will dormice, and there will be plenty of fruit and berries around for the wren and other birds, such as the redwing and fieldfare,” he remarked
In addition, many insects will enjoy the blackberries, including butterflies such as the speckled white and the red admiral, while species of “micro” moths and flies will be feasting on autumn fruits such as spindle and hawthorn berries, he said.
The good crop of wild fruits could persuade birds like the blackcap, traditionally a summer visitor, to overwinter here in greater numbers, Mr Oates said.