Rubus occidentalis

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Shoots, Leaves - tea

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked in pies and preserves. Quality varies, but the best forms have a rich, acidic flavour; the hemispherical berries are about 15mm in diameter. Young shoots are edible raw or cooked like rhubarb — harvest them as they push through the soil in spring while still tender, then peel before eating. The leaves and the bark of the root can each be used separately to make tea.

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

Blackcap

Rubus occidentalis

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

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

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It suits hardiness zones 3-9.

Australia, Canada, Europe, North America*, USA,

How to Identify

A shrub. It grows 3 m high and spreads 3 m wide. It loses its leaves during the year. The stems are curved and prickly. The leaves are dark green and have 5 leaflets on non flowering stems and 3 leaflets on flowering stems. The leaves are white and like felt underneath. The flowers are white. The fruit are dark purple. They are edible. Some named varieties occur.

How to Grow

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Sometimes cultivated, especially in N. America, for its edible fruit, it is a parent of many named varieties. This species is a raspberry 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. Berries are typically harvested in summer, from late spring to early autumn, depending on the species and local climate. Rubus species generally flower in late spring to early summer, usually from May to June (Northern Hemisphere), depending on the specific species and environmental conditions. Rubus species are known for their vigorous growth and can establish quickly, often spreading through both seeds and vegetative propagation. They can reach maturity in 1 to 2 years, with some species growing rapidly within a single growing season. Many Rubus species are self-fertile, meaning that a single plant can produce fruit on its own. However, some varieties may benefit from cross-pollination to increase yield.

Propagation: Seed requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed needs one month of stratification at about 3°C and should be sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out seedlings when large enough to handle, grow on in a cold frame, and 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 layer in July and plant out in autumn. Division can be done in early spring or just before leaf-fall in autumn.

Medicinal Uses

The roots are cathartic. A decoction of the roots has been used to treat gonorrhoea, and the root has been chewed for coughs and toothache. An infusion of the roots serves as a wash for sore eyes, and the root has been combined with Hypericum spp to treat the early stages of consumption. An infusion of the astringent root bark is used for diarrhoea and dysentery. The leaves are highly astringent; a decoction treats bowel complaints, and a tea made from the leaves is applied as a wash for old, foul sores, ulcers, and boils. A decoction of roots, stems, and leaves together has been used for whooping cough.

Other Uses

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit. Rubus species can serve as ground cover to help prevent soil erosion and provide habitat and food for wildlife including birds and beneficial insects; their thorns also act as a natural barrier. The flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The abundant berries are a significant food source for birds, mammals, and insects, while dense thickets offer shelter and nesting sites for small animals. The sprawling growth habit also provides cover and overwintering sites for invertebrates within stems and leaf litter.

Rubus occidentalis is a species of Rubus native to eastern North America. Its common name black raspberry is shared with other closely related species. Other names occasionally used include bear's eye blackberry, black cap, black cap raspberry, and scotch cap.

Other Information

It is cultivated.

Notes

There are about 250 Rubus species.

More from Rosaceae

Acaena anserinifolia

Bidgee widgee, Buzzy, New Zealand Bur

No photo

Acaenia anserinifolia - (J.R.Forst.&G.Forst.)Druce.

Pirri-Pirri Bur

Adenostoma sparsifolium

Red shanks, Ribbonwood

Agrimonia eupatoria

Agrimony, Salt and Pepper

Agrimonia odorata

Adour agrimony, Liver-wort

Agrimonia pilosa

Indian chestnut, Agrimony