Wildman Steve Brill leads a fall foraging tour of Central Park, beginning at 106th St. and Fifth Ave.

Thanks to its varied habitats and combination of native and introduced species, Central Park is a great place for foraging in late fall. Herbs, greens, nuts, berries, and mushrooms are all in season simultaneously.

The spectacular fruit and berries will surprise even experienced naturalists. Large rose hips of the wrinkled rose droop from bushes in Strawberry Fields. Sweet, apple-almond-flavored red juneberries brighten the park's Upper West Side, and tart crab apples, which taste like tamarinds, abound throughout the park.

American persimmon trees persimmon nearby produce an outstandingly sweet fruit that you can't buy anywhere, but must gather free of charge! And Central Park's ginkgo trees are at their peak. Inside a malodorous orange fruit you'll find a white, almond-shaped kernel with a soft green nut inside. This Chinese delicacy tastes like a combination of green peas and Limburger cheese. Sold in health food stores and advertised on TV, Ginkgo biloba improves circulation and immune function, and may improve memory...

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