It’s Apple Picking Season, But This Apple is Actually Illegal in Massachusetts

With Labor Day Weekend behind us, Massachusetts residents are fully embracing the fall season.

Those of us who live in western Massachusetts, specifically in The Berkshires know that this is a truly magical time of year to live in the mountains. Over 2.6 million people visit The Berkshires annually and a large portion of those folks pass through during the Fall season.

Visitors and locals alike are dazzled every year by stunning fall foliage, harvest festivals, pumpkin patches, fall hikes, and of course apple picking.

There are no shortages of places to pick your own apples but there are some favorites in The Berkshires like Barlett's Apple Orchard, in Richmond, Massachusetts which was named one of the best orchards in the state.

Folks who roam the orchards in Massachusetts will see a wide variety of apples like Macintosh, Gala, Jonamac, Paula Red, Honeycrisp and so many more. But there is one varietal of apple that is illegal in Massachusetts.

This Type of Apple is Illegal in Massachusetts

While you can find an abundance of apples throughout orchards in the Bay State, one you won't find is the Tropical Soda Apple, because it's invasive and therefore illegal. The solanum viarum otherwise known as the Tropical Soda Apple is on the Massachusetts Prohibited Plants list. This perennial thorny shrub grows from three to six feet tall and produces golf-ball size fruits resembling tiny watermelons, according to invasivespecies.org. The fruit is poisonous to humans. The fruit is indigenous to Brazil, but rare plant collectors are warned that this species is illegal in Massachusetts and most of the other 50 states.