We have sparkleberries!
These Florida natives are close relatives of blueberries, and people graft blueberry cuttings onto sparkleberry rootstock to make them hardier. The sparkleberry berries are edible, but not as juicy as blueberries. People used to make pies and jams from them.
Having sparkleberries growing wild on our land is great for a few reasons. First, it means we have an edible already producing fruit for no work at all. Second, it’s a really good indicator that we could grow rabbiteye or highbush blueberries with very little work. Third, the wood is really good for carving. And lastly, I get to use the old name for this plant and make kids laugh: farkleberry!
