What Constitutes 'Wild'?

[shortie]

I've been treking the back alleys round me in search of blackberries and there a TONNES.

Now I know I can pick these as they are growing out of the earth or concrete between the backs of houses and is not owned by anyone but the council.

However I've seen some fruits I'm particulary interested in that have over grown the back fence of a local house. It's a pretty over grown garden so I don't think they'll even notice, and the fruits are clearly on the outside of the fence.

My question is, am I allowed to pick this?

[Muddypause]

This is not a definitive answer, but if they grew over your neighbour's fence into your garden, then I'm pretty sure you could pick them with impunity. I imagine that this is a comparable situation, though the technicalities of 'ownership' may ultimately be open to interpretation - eg. just because something grows on (or overhangs) land owned by a public authority does not necessarily mean the public have a right to help themselves. But from what you describe, I should think that's pretty much a non-issue, here.

I have heard of schemes where people approach householders who have fruit trees in their garden, and offer to pick the fruit for them in return for a share of the harvest. Maybe there is potential for this sort of thing here, too.

[Wombat]

G'Day Shortie!

I don't know what things are like over there, but here you have to be a bit circumspect about harvesting anything that could rmotely be looked on as a weed on public land unless you can be sure that they have not been sprayed with something 'orrible!

Nev

[hedgewizard]

Yup, grey issue. I'd scrump myself, possibly under cover of waiting until they're out. I seem to remember a local council ruling that overhanging fruit remained the property of the tree owner until it fell off the tree, whereupon it became the property of the neighbour.

[shortie]

Fair dos..... maybe I'll see how brave I feel when it's ripe eh? [she sneaks out at silly o'clock in the morning on tiptoes]

Thanks for the replies

[Andy Hamilton]

I should be more worried about this issue but I go under the assumption that if I see it I can have it, I have never been stopped from picking stuff from public places even if the tree or bush originates in someone else's garden.

There are loads of fruit trees around bristol in public places I have had a good £20 worth of cherries this year and have my eye on a load of apple and plum trees. It seems that near a lot of tower blocks built in the 50's and 60's there are a load of cherry trees. Was this part ofLe Corbusier's plan?

[Shirley]

hmmm,.... could be Andy... could be!!

we used to scrump the plums from a tree that was in the garden of a disused house on the estate up here in Aberdeenshire...the most delicious plums in the world... unfortunately (for us) the house is now occupied, but as to whether they pick the plums I don't know...

I guess you could always just knock on the door of the house that is overgrown Shortie... and ask if it's ok to pick them.