40 Types of Berries From A To Z (With Photos!)

From blueberries to strawberries to elderberry, we are covering 40 different types of berries in this guide to berry varieties!

What Makes a Berry a Berry?

By definition, a berry is a fruit that comes from the single ovary of an individual flower. Okay, Live Eat Learn probably has over a thousand articles, and I am pretty sure we have never used the word ovary. This, however, is the botanical definition of a berry.

In the culinary world, we think of berries a little differently. Generally berries are small, juicy, plump fruits with a roundish shape, and typically with the word “berry” is in their name. You can usually eat a berry in one bite or 2-3 if you are savoring it. While this is not the scientific definition, I consider this the culinary definition. For our list of different types of berries we will stick the the culinary definition (opinion).

Types of Berries

• Acai Berry
• Akebia Fruit
• Asparagus Berry
• Baobab Berry
• Barberry
• Blackberry
• Black Mulberry
• Blueberry
• Boysenberry
• Cape Gooseberry
• Cedar Berry
• Ceylon Gooseberry
• Cherry Berry
• Cloudberry
• Cranberry
• Dogwood Berry
• Elderberry
• Goji Berry
• Goumi Berry
• Golden Berry
• Gooseberry
• Guava Berry
• Honey Berry
• Huckleberries
• Indian Gooseberry
• Kiwi Berry
• Lingonberry
• Mafura Berry
• Marula Berry
• Miracle Berry
• Mulberry
• Raspberry
• Salal Berry
• Saskatoon Berry
• Sea Buckthorn Berries
• Strawberry
• Tazziberry
• Watermelon Berry
• Yew Berry

Acai Berry

Acai are small, round, dark-purple berries that taste like wild berries with a hint of chocolate. Got your attention yet? They are about the size of blueberries, and are native to the Amazon rainforest where the indigenous people have eaten them for centuries.

Acai are used to make smoothies, juices, and ice cream. We did mention the hint of chocolate flavor. They are also used in health supplements, usually after being dried and ground because they are loaded with antioxidants.

Akebia Fruit

The akebia fruit is a small purple fruit native to Japan. It has a sweet and slightly tart flavor that is a mix of passion fruit and banana. You want to spit the seeds out because they are quite bitter if chewed. These berries are often used in traditional Japanese medicine, but can also be used in smoothies, jelly, and in Japan the rinds are stuffed with savory fillings. You will likely have to go to a international or Asian market to find these berries

Asparagus Berry

We are including asparagus berries in this article as a cautionary note, or perhaps just a topic of interest. The asparagus plant self-propagates through a red berry-like seed pod. The berries are toxic to humans. If you consider growing our own asparagus, keep this in mind.

Baobab Berry

The baobab tree is known as the “tree of life” in Africa, and its fruit is just as impressive as its name. Baobab berries are rich in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. They have a sour, citrusy flavor and are often used in drinks, pressed for oil, and used in a few desserts. This “berry” is another good example of why you shouldn’t put too much stock into the classification of berry. As the photo shows they are quite large.

Barberry

Barberries are grown around the world though the most popular variety is the European barberry. They are often grown as an ornamental shrub as their spines are a good deterrent to burglars. The Japanese Barberry, however, is banned in several states because of their tendency to harbor tics thus increasing the threat of lyme disease. Barberry fruits are definitely edible, tasting rather like dried cranberries and often used in jams, jellies, sprinkled on salads, and added to granola.

Blackberry

Blackberries are a dark-colored berry with a sweet and slightly tart flavor, and are high in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. They grow best in temperate northern climates, and are grown across the Northern United states. They are commonly used in pies, berry jam, and smoothies. We know what you’re thinking here, cabbage? But trust us, it works.

Blackberries, along with raspberries, are actually classified as “stone fruits”. This means they have a single seed inside of their pulp. In this case the tiny little seeds that sometimes get stuck in your teeth when you eat blackberries are the stone, or pit, inside each of the tiny drupelets.

Black Mulberry

The black mulberry is native to Iran (Persia), but is today grown in cooler regions of the USA. The berries can grow to be quite large, reaching as much as 2” long. This berry has a pleasant sweet tart flavor though the flavor does vary substantially. Use this in lieu of blackberries or raspberries in any recipe. They are good in sweet breads, and you may be able to find it ground into a powder to mix with flour just for this purpose. They are great eaten by the handful or in berry desserts. 

Blueberry

Blueberries are one of only three berries native to North America. While blueberries are commonly used in sweets they are also great in savory foods like this quick and easy Blueberry Balsamic Grilled Cheese.

We won’t list all the blueberry varieties commercially available, but just a few of our favorites.

• Biloxi Blueberry is a warm-region blueberry noted for its plumpness, sweet taste, and juiciness. It is usually hand-picked as it is more delicate than other varieties, but this makes it a popular southern variety open for DIY blueberry picking.
• Chandier Blueberry is a very recent cultivar released for commercial sales in 1995. The berries are on the large side, and do not hold up well to machine picking. This tends to limit their sales to local markets and causes the price to be higher than other blueberries. This variety is also sometimes available for DIY blueberry picking.
• Patriot Blueberry is a third type of blueberry worth mentioning. Only developed in 1976 the plant grows berries reaching the size of a quarter. This blueberry variety was developed to be disease-resistant, withstand cold, be self-pollinating, and produce larger crops. This is typical of many fruits. Horticulturists, often funded by national governments, work to develop fruits that taste better, grow in a wider variety of conditions, or produce larger yields. 
• Alaskan Blueberry are delicious berries grown in one of the few places in America where you can still find large tracts of wild blueberries. I grew up in Alaska, so I had to give a nod to this wonderful fruit.

Boysenberry

Boysenberries are a cross between blackberries, raspberries, and loganberries. We aren’t really sure just where they came from, but believe they were developed in California about 100 years ago. They are large, deep red berries with a sweet, slightly tart flavor, and are loaded with vitamins C and K, as well as dietary fiber.

Boysenberries can be used as you would raspberries or blackberries. Eat them raw, put them in yogurt, fruit salads, smoothies, or in baked desserts. They also make good preserves, pies, muffins and cobblers. Like most berries they also make great smoothies.

Cape Gooseberry

Cape gooseberries, also known as physalis, are small golden berries that are native to South America but are now widely cultivated in Africa, China, India, and the Philippines. They have a sweet and slightly tart flavor and are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium. They’re often used in jams, pies, fruit salads, sauces, and ice cream.

Cedar Berry

The cedar berry comes from the eastern red cedar tree, and is very similar to a juniper berry. The small dark blue berries are generally not eaten raw, but are instead dried and sold as a health treatment with purported medicinal benefits in aiding coughs, rheumatism, bronchitis, fungal infections, worms, and flatulence. We cannot speak to any of these claims, but should you want to try it you can find them online.

Ceylon Gooseberry

Ceylon Gooseberries are native to Sri Lanka (formerly known as the Isle of Ceylon) but are grown in limited quantities in the USA. They are small, juicy berries about half an inch in diameter that are on the acidic side. Well, let’s be truthful: They are pretty, “make your mouth pucker,” sour, or even astringent. So they are not usually eaten raw but are more commonly made into jams and jellies. They become a bit sweeter as they get to the overripe stage.

Cherry Berry

Cherries aren’t actually a berry, but are botanically considered a drupe. Cherry berries, however, don’t grow on trees like cherries but on a ground plant.  It is a fairly new fruit cultivar that grows in the Northeast of the US. The berries can be eaten by the handful, used in fruit salads, on yogurt, or in your ice cream.

Cloudberry

Cloudberries are a rare and exotic berry found in the sub-arctic tundra regions of the world. They are normally used as a ground cover, and aren’t commercially cultivated because it can take up to 7 years from planting to bare fruit. They are a bright orange color and have a sweet-tart taste. They are high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and are sometimes used in jams and desserts. Their primary uses are in folk medicines and cosmetics.

Cranberry

Cranberries are a tart and tangy berry that is often associated with Thanksgiving, and unlike green bean casserole were probably served at the first Thanksgiving in 1621. They are high in antioxidants and have been linked to numerous health benefits, such as reducing the risk of urinary tract infections. They are commonly used in sauces, drinks, and desserts like Cranberry Orange Sweet Rolls.

Dogwood Berry

Dogwood berries come from the aesthetic dogwood tree we admire when it’s pink or white flowers are in bloom. These bright red berries can be toxic, and to be honest they simply just don’t taste good. They are very sour, but you can find recipes for them in jams and jellies. You are best to enjoy the appearance of the dogwood tree and leave the berries to the birds.

Elderberry

Elderberries are small, dark purple berries with a tart flavor. There are several types of elderberry, including American, European, and Red. These can all be eaten raw or cooked, but the seeds are toxic. There is also a Wild Elderberry known as the American Black Elderberry, which grows in the US Pacific Northwest.

The berries are poisonous if eaten raw and must be cooked. Cooked, they go well in pies, pancakes, desserts, jams & jellies, and mixed in yogurt. Elderberries have long been used for purported medicinal benefits. We can’t endorse these, but if you want to try elderberry powder or other elderberry supplements, you can find them online.

Goji Berry

Goji Berries are small, red berries that grow in the Himalayan region of China. They have a slightly sour and tart flavor and are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. They are often used in juice, teas, and health foods. You can find them sold dried or in powdered form as a health supplement.

Goumi Berry

The goumi shrub is native to China, Japan, and Far Eastern Russia. They are grown in the USA, but mostly as an ornamental shrub. For that reason, you aren’t apt to find these for sale outside of perhaps a farmer’s market. The berries are oblong and small, (less than ½ inch long), and are tart with a taste almost like rhubarb.

Golden Berry

Also known as Peruvian ground cherries, golden berries are a small, yellow-orange fruit that grows in South America. They are high in vitamin A and are often used in jams, sauces, and salads. These are also known as the husk tomato though they are not tomatoes at all. You will occasionally find these at your grocery or international markets. If you buy them look for those with the husk still attached and not yet dried out.

Gooseberry

Gooseberries are a small, round berry with a tart flavor. Botanically they are related to currants. They are high in vitamin C and antioxidants and are commonly used in jams and jellies. You can also just eat them raw by the handful like you would any other berry.

Guava Berry

The guava berry is not related to the Guava. It is a dark-red or yellow-orange wild berry that grows to about blueberry size in Central and South America, Florida, and Hawaii. It is often used to make jam and drinks. You won’t often find these for sale as they are difficult to grow, making cultivation a money-losing proposition.

Honey Berry

Honeyberries are also known as blue honeysuckle or haskap. It is a small elongated blue colored berry that is native to Japan. They look and taste much like blueberries as they are sweet yet have a tart hint to their flavor that is perfect in desserts and jams. They are a great berry to mix into a fruit salad, and are nutritionally off the charts. They contain almost four times the vitamin C and twice the vitamin A as blueberries and even more anthocyanins, the antioxidant found in most blue and purple fruits.

Huckleberries

Huckleberries are small, dark purple berries that grow wild in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. They have a sweet, slightly tart flavor and are high in antioxidants and fiber. They are often used in pies, a variety of jam recipes, and syrups. You can use them as a substitute for blueberries.

Huckleberries are mostly picked wild as they can be challenging to cultivate, so commercial growing is unusual. To be honest, most of us wouldn’t even know they existed if it were not for Mark Twain’s fictional character Huckleberry Finn

Indian Gooseberry

Indian Gooseberries are native to India where they are called Amlas, and are used primarily to make amla juice. The green, sour berries are also used in candies and another regional recipe known as Dal. Gooseberries are believed to assist in reducing LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and are often made into supplements you can get on online.

Kiwi Berry

Kiwi berries are small, green fruits similar in taste to kiwi fruit but without the fuzzy skin. They are only about the size of a large grape but are high in vitamin C. Like most berries, they can be eaten fresh by the handful, but they are often used in fruit or green salads, smoothies, or even as a toast topping.

Lingonberry

Lingonberries are a small, deep-red, tart berry that grows wild in the northern hemisphere. When we say northern we mean like in the sub-arctic tundra. So, you won’t likely find these at your grocery store. You can find them online, or go to IKEA where they are usually carried. They are high in vitamin C and antioxidants and are used in Scandinavia to make sauces, jams, chutneys, and desserts.

Mafura Berry

Mafura berries are native to southern Africa and are an important part of traditional medicine in the region. They’re high in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. They have a nutty, buttery flavor and are often used to make oil for cooking and skin care products.

Marula Berry

Marula berries, also known as “elephant fruit,” are a favorite among animals in Africa. These small, yellowish fruits grow on the marula tree and have a tangy, citrusy flavor. They’re high in vitamin C and are often used to make jam or a popular liqueur known as Amarula.

Miracle Berry

Also known as the miracle fruit, it is a small red berry native to West Africa. It is known for its unique ability to alter taste perception, making sour foods taste sweet. This is how they got their nickname. This berry contains miraculin, a molecule that binds to taste receptors on the tongue and alters the way the brain perceives taste. Miracle fruit is often used as a natural sweetener, and is also used in some dietary supplements.

Mulberry

Mulberries are small, sweet, juicy berries that are dark purple to black, but you can also find red and white mulberries. The fruit has a nice sweet-tart flavor with an almost crunchy texture despite being a bit delicate and easily smashed, sort of like raspberries.

They are great just eaten by the handful, or added to breakfast cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies. They are also great for baking pies, muffins, crisps, and tarts. Mulberry jams and preserves are popular, and the berries can be used to make wine or dried and used in trail mix or granola bars. Mulberries are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and iron.

Raspberry

Raspberries are popular worldwide at the market, in home gardens, and in the wild. If you are lucky enough to have them growing in your area, raspberry picking can be very rewarding, given the high price of even a pint of raspberries. They are a low-calorie fruit with a strong nutrition profile. They are great eaten by the handful, with yogurt or ice cream, on cereal, in smoothies, in jam and baked into deserts. Oh, and you really should try them in this healthy yet decadent panna cotta recipe.

Salal Berry

Salal berries are native to British Columbia, and were long an important staple food of the native people in the Pacific Northwest. The berries are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and the seeds contain a healthy dose of Omega 3 fatty acids. The taste of these berries varies greatly, even over a small growing area, as the berries can range from flavorful to bland. The berries are said to be very satiating, probably due to their omega-3 fatty acids. The berries are often eaten by the handful, canned, used in smoothies, or baked into a variety of desserts.

Saskatoon Berry

Saskatoon Berries are small, deep purple berries that grow wild in western Canada and the northern United States. They have a sweet, nutty flavor and are high in antioxidants and fiber. They are often used in pies, jams, and muffins.

Sea Buckthorn Berries

Sea buckthorn berries are a small, bright orange berry that grows wild in coastal areas. They taste like a tart passion fruit. Sort of a citrusy taste, but not the kind that most people eat raw like other berries. They are more often used in jams, juices, pies, and teas and mixed with other fruits in juice.

Strawberry

Strawberries are a classic summer fruit with a juicy texture and a bright red color. They are low in calories at only 9 calories an ounce but high in vitamin C and fiber. Native Americans introduced Europeans to strawberries shortly after their arrival in North America. The wild strawberries were quite small, but French traders bought other cultivars from Chile back to Europe where the modern strawberry we know today was bred. 

Tazziberry

Tazziberries are a relatively new type of berry that was developed in South Africa. They’re a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry and have a sweet, juicy flavor with a hint of tartness. They’re high in antioxidants and are often used in jams, sauces, and desserts.

Watermelon Berry

Watermelon berries are indigenous to much of Alaska from its Southeastern Coast to deep into the interior. The bright red berries are about the size of a grape and, as the name suggests, taste a bit like watermelon. They grow wild and are mostly eaten by the handful by hikers and local berry pickers.

Yew Berry

Yew Berries grow mostly in Europe, and are believed to have originated about 9,000 years ago. The flesh of these berries is quite edible, but (there is always a but) the seeds are toxic. Some animals, like the badger, can safely eat them, but hey, the Badger is one tough animal.