Rubus leucostachys — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. It is sweet but somewhat insipid in flavour.

Dangerous Lookalikes

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

DEADLY

Red Baneberry

Actaea rubra

SAFE

Rubus leucostachys

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

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

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

Australia, Britain, Europe, Tasmania,

Countries: Andorra, Albania, Austria, Australia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belarus, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Ukraine

How to Identify

A deciduous shrub with hermaphroditic, insect-pollinated flowers. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage. Accepts mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH. Tolerates semi-shaded or sunny conditions and prefers moist soil.

How to Grow

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Very closely related to R. adscitus. 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 requires one month stratification at about 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/August in a frame. Tip layering in July, planting 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

A deciduous shrub with hermaphroditic, insect-pollinated flowers. Grows in light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage. Accepts mildly acidic to mildly alkaline pH. Tolerates semi-shaded or sunny conditions and prefers moist soil.