Rubus caesius
L.
European dewberry, Youngberry, Dewberry
(c) Jordi Roy Gabarra, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Alexander Baransky, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Leaves - tea, Shoots
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. Succulent but not particularly flavorful on its own, it is nonetheless considered by some to surpass blackcurrants in taste, though each fruit is small and made up of only a few drupes. It works well in jellies and preserves. Fresh or dried leaves can be brewed as a tea substitute.
Dangerous Lookalikes
This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.
Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.
European 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. In western China it grows near river banks between 1,000-1,500 m above sea level. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.
TEMPERATE ASIA: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq (north), Lebanon, Turkey, Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation (Dagestan), Russian Federation-Western Siberia (Western Siberia), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, China (Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu) EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Russian Federation-European part (European part (c. & s.)), Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Ukraine (incl. Krym), Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Italy (incl. Sicily), North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain (incl. Baleares), France, Portugal AFRICA: Algeria
How to Identify
A plant which trails over the ground. It grows 0.6-1.2 m high and spreads 1.8-3.5 m wide. The stems have a few prickles. The leaves have 3 leaflets and they are slightly downy. They have teeth along the edge and have an aroma. The leaflets have 2-3 lobes. The flowers are large and white. The fruit are black berries. They are edible.
How to Grow
Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Succeeds on chalky soils. This species is a blackberry with biennial stems, it produces a number of new stems each year from the perennial rootstock, these stems fruit in their second year and then die. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.
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 when large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame, then plant out into permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood can be taken in July or August in a frame. Tip layering in July; plant out in autumn. Division can be done 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.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Rubus caesius is a Eurasian species of dewberry, known as the European dewberry. Like other dewberries, it is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, related to the blackberry and raspberry. It is widely distributed across much of Eurasia.
Production
There are about 250 Rubus species.
Names & Synonyms
Azina, Bukuzumu, Drri, Drrila, Dzag'imaq'vala, Jezyna, Moras rateras, Mosheni, Ostruga, Poldmurakas, Poldmari, Sinjezelena robida, Tuutrrk, Yezhevika, Zarza, Zarzamora
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