Calafate
Culinary referenceCalafate is a spiny barberry with blue-black berries.
Culinary reference
Maqui.
Aristotelia chilensis
Also found as Chilean wineberry
A Chilean shrub with glossy leaves on red stalks and dark purple berries rich in anthocyanins.
Sources checked 27 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Before any gathering or use
Confirm the plant; several shrubs with dark berries grow in the same forests.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 1,433
- People who recorded it
- 553
- Most records (southern hemisphere)
- Sep–Feb
- Records span
- 2004–2026
| January | 184 |
|---|---|
| February | 164 |
| March | 103 |
| April | 89 |
| May | 71 |
| June | 77 |
| July | 66 |
| August | 71 |
| September | 126 |
| October | 207 |
| November | 140 |
| December | 135 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Evergreen shrub with glossy, toothed opposite leaves on reddish stalks.
- 02
Small white to yellow flowers in clusters.
- 03
Round purple-black berries.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
Central and southern Chile and adjacent Argentina.
Watch the plant stage
Berries ripen in summer (December to February).
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Documented use & care
Parts discussed: Fruit
Eat ripe berries fresh or in juice.
Care for the patch
Maqui is harvested widely for export; take a modest share.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- Wikipedia · Aristotelia chilensisBotanical description, range and documented use
- iNaturalist · Aristotelia chilensisTaxonomy and verified observation records
Checked 27 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction