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American chestnut · Apple (Malus) · Apricot · Black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) · Blackberry · Community orchard · Crabapple · Hazel · Pear · Plum · Urban park
📍 80 Fisher Ave, Boston, MA 02120, USA
🗓 Season: August · September · October · November · June · July
🔍 When is it ripe?
Apple (Malus): Background skin colour shifts from green toward yellow; seeds turn brown when ripe. Fruit separates from the spur with a gentle upward twist. Aroma develops near the base. Wild Malus fruit is often small and tart — excellent for cider and jelly.
Apricot: Golden-orange colour all over; red blush is fine but green means unripe. Gives slightly under thumb pressure and separates cleanly from the pit. Sweet, floral aroma. Short window — harvest daily once they start colouring.
Black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis): Deep purple-black; pulls free from the hollow centre. Strongly flavoured. Picks over about two weeks — check every couple of days.
Blackberry: Fully black (not red or dark red) and comes off the stem with no resistance — zero pull. Dull rather than shiny; a shiny black berry is still slightly underripe and tart. Eat the same day for best flavour.
Crabapple: Small apples ripen from green to red, yellow, or orange by variety. Very tart raw but excellent for jelly and cider. Ripe when the colour is fully developed and the fruit lifts off with a gentle twist.
Hazel: Green husks turn brown and pull back from the nut; ripe nuts fall freely or shake loose. Gather before squirrels. Dry in a warm place for 1–2 weeks for best flavour. Catkins (male flowers) are edible in early spring.
Pear: Unlike apples, pears ripen from the inside out. Harvest when the skin colour lightens and the fruit separates with a gentle upward twist. Ripen off the tree at room temperature — leave on a counter until the neck yields to thumb pressure.
Plum: Colour fully develops (purple, red, or yellow by variety) and a waxy bloom appears on the skin. Softens slightly at the tip. Taste-test for sweetness — European plums are better slightly soft; Japanese types can be harvested firmer.
McLaughlin Woodlands and Orchard: Property owned by Boston Parks and Recreation Department. Cared for by volunteers from Boston Cares and McLaughlin Stewards coordinated by Boston Parks and Recreation Department. For stewardship opportunities, visit www.missionhillgreen.com or call 617-739-1489.
Lots of wild apples, lots of fruit and nut trees have also been experimentally planted and grow wild on this steep hillside - I baked 9 black raspberry pies one summer from this park alone. Be ready to deal with lots of thorny bushes and bugs - great source though, big place, almost untouched. There's a crabapple tree on the McLaughlin Playground path that is tall and hard to reach but has peach-colored golf ball sized apples that taste like champagne.
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