They look delicious...

...but they're not and, if ingested, can make you quite ill - apparently the berries have a laxative effect.!

The spindle trees on Wooler Common are laden with beautiful, bright pink fruit, some beginning to burst open to reveal the bright orange seeds.

Spindle wood is hard and dense and, in the past was used to make spindles for spinning and holding wool - hence its name. The fruits used to be baked and powdered and used to treat head lice. Now, the timber is used to make high-quality charcoal for artists.

Comments New comments are not currently accepted on this journal.