Rubus arizonicus

(Greene) Rydb.

Arizona dewberry

RosaceaeFruit
⚠ Dangerous Lookalikes — Has a deadly poisonous lookalike — see comparison below
Rubus arizonicus
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) eknuth, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Rubus arizonicus
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) eknuth, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Rubus arizonicus
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) eknuth, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, and may also be pressed into cakes, dried, and stored for later use.

Dangerous Lookalikes

This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.

DEADLY
Red Baneberry
Red Baneberry
Actaea rubra
SAFE
Rubus arizonicus
Arizona dewberry
Rubus arizonicus
Actaea rubra
Actaea rubra
Rubus arizonicus
Rubus arizonicus

Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.

Arizona dewberry: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

North America, USA,

Countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, St Vincent

How to Identify

A deciduous shrub growing only 20cm tall, hermaphrodite and insect-pollinated. Adapts to light, medium, and heavy well-drained soils in mildly acid to basic pH. Thrives in semi-shade or full sun with moist soil. Functions as effective ground cover.

How to Grow

Propagation: Seed requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed needs one month of stratification at around 3°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Prick out seedlings once large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame before planting out into permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Can also be propagated by division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in autumn.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Other Uses

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit. The plant also works well as a ground cover.

Wikipedia

A deciduous shrub growing only 20cm tall, hermaphrodite and insect-pollinated. Adapts to light, medium, and heavy well-drained soils in mildly acid to basic pH. Thrives in semi-shade or full sun with moist soil. Functions as effective ground cover.

Notes

The name is ambiguous.

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