I can't make it out, but my guess would be that they're deformed/damaged plant tissues, resulting from infection with cedar(juniper)-hawthorn rust. I see occasional twig lesions on my mayhaws - after the fact - and some years, the rust fungus gets almost all of the fruits,though most years,I'm able get a decent part of the crop before the fruits get too damaged.

Sumac and elderberry would work great...they are both on my state's list of recommended plants for erosion control. Also Alleghany serviceberry, red chokeberry, large cranberry, american hazelnut, blueberries (since you wanted to go for edibles) My reason for not suggesting trees was because I've been told that trees next to a cliff or steep bank tend to take parts of the bank with them if they fall down. Steep drop offs have been my personal experience with erosion control. Is that an issue here? Is there a steep embankment involved? Your picture doesn't show one, but I wasn't sure if your picture showed the area with the erosion problem. I'm not trying to persuade you NOT to plant trees, I'm generally a huge tree fan. I'd advise you AGAINST planting any non-native grasses for erosion control. To be be effective for erosion control, a plant has to aggressively spread by roots or rhizomes...exactly the traits that tend to make a plant invasive, Anything that's going to work for erosion control is going to spread, and you don't want aggressive nan-natives spreading uncontrolled. Similarly, ivies tend to be invasive and can take down trees. I'd be careful with planting ivies. Probably NOT compatible with your trees. The pecan trees should probably be planted more then 4 feet from any really steep drop off. You are adding a few steps that really aren't necessary if the goal is erosion control or feeding wildlife...although they may help if you are trying to get a significant crop. (Trees usually grow fine without that much effort to improve the soil). Oh, and Fall is actually a great time to plant potted trees, shrubs and grasses...in my area, at least. Cool weather gets the trees to focus on root growth and many nurseries and "Big Box" stores have end of season sales. I wouldn't worry too much about trees "not agreeing with each other"...Black Walnut, silver maple and Eastern Red Cedar don't agree with much, but apart from that you can mostly ignore these issues and focus on desired light levels and moisture level. If you like edibles and natives, have you considered American Persimmon or Paw Paw? Oh...and how much land are we talking here?

Thanks, Dave. Although mayhaws do grow in bogs and wetlands, they also grow beautifully in well-drained soil. We are fortunate to have good sandy loam at our place, even though most of our area has awful black gumbo clay. My parents told stories of going with their parents to scoop up the mayhaws with nets from the wet, boggy areas, but they planted mayhaws in their yard many years ago. They make a very tasty, unique jelly that is crystal clear deep red. The mayhaw is very tart. It's a beautiful tree, especially in the spring when it is full of white blooms. Since I forget that other parts of the country may not know what a mayhaw is, I found this off the mayhaw.org website: "The mayhaw (crataegus opaca) is a fruit about 1/2" to 1" in diameter. Ripe from mid-April through early May, its fruit color varies from bright red to reddish yellow. It is not a desirable berry for eating raw." "The mayhaw is a Hawthorne native to the southeastern states that is normally a 20 - 30 foot tree at maturity. Usually found in low, wet, slightly acid areas, mayhaws produce best on good upland soils in full sun." "The mayhaw normally flowers in February and March. Ball-shaped at maturity, the mayhaw tree makes a beautiful ornamental." "Historically, Mayhaws have been harvested in backwoods sloughs, swamps, and river bottoms. Boats are sometimes utilized in the harvest of wild mayhaws. Limbs are shaken over the boat and nets are used to scoop them out of the water. Accessibility has dwindled over the years as developers have cleared the woodlands. Commercial and home orchards are now being created with grafted mayhaws." My grandmother used to make a delicious mayhaw cake, which was about 6-8 very thin layers of plain cake and mayhaw jelly. While still warm, she used a toothpick to poke holes in the first layer, pour warm melted mayhaw jelly over it, added the second layer, poked holes, poured jelly, and repeated until finished. The top layer was dusted with powdered sugar. I'm making my mouth water just thinking about it! I have a feeling I won't have enough juice left to can it for drinking. :-) Jill

it looks like Solanum mammosum species but I am not sure about it. Better would be to see the whole plant, habitus and leaves for identification.