Moon Currants; Spring Berries of Uma

Moon currants grow only in wetlands on Uma, home to the Foren (who we meet in the Tales of Moerden Book 2). Moon currants thrive in areas of boggy ground where rivers and streams approach larger bodies of water. The plants grow on small hummocks in the wetland: yellow flowers appear in early spring, and berries form before summer. Borne on vertical stems, the berries often appear to hang suspended over the hummock, and seem to glow with reflected sunlight on a sunny afternoon. This, and their golden colour, inspires their name.

The berries are prized for their sweet but tangy taste, and a pleasing floral scent but they are very difficult to obtain because of the softness of the ground where they grow. Young Foren can walk lightly on the surface, but the heavier adults must hover in the air to pick berries with their lips. Thus, a Foren craving moon currents must make a visit to a place like the Ajulant Vale in the spring when the berries are ripening.

© Rosemary Drisdelle 2025

Ripe moon currants on Uma