Rubus nemorosus — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

Fruit eaten raw or cooked.

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 nemorosus

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

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

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

Asia, Czech Republic, Europe, Luxembourg,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, Belarus, Switzerland, China, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malta, Maldives, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

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

How to Grow

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in many parts of the country. This species is not mentioned in Flora Europaea. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation: Seed requires stratification; sow in early autumn in a cold frame or stratify stored seed for one month at 3°C before earliest spring sowing. Transplant seedlings when large enough to a cold frame, then to permanent positions in late spring. Semi-ripe wood cuttings root in July/August in a frame. Tip layer in July and plant out in autumn. Divide in early spring or just before autumn leaf-fall.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Other Uses

Fruit yields a purple to dull blue dye.

Wikipedia

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

Notes

There are about 250 Rubus species.

Names & Synonyms

Ostruzinik hajni

References (3)

Berlin. Baumz. ed. 2, 411. 1811 (Hayne, Getreue Darstell.Gew. 3: t. 10. 1813)
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Simkova, K. et al, 2014, Ethnobotanical review of wild edible plants used in the Czech Republic. Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality 88, 49-67