Rubus pedatus
J. E. Smith
Trailing wild raspberry, Five-leaved bramble
(c) Connor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Connor
(c) Kate McKeown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kate McKeown
(c) Zoë Davis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Zoë Davis
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked in pies, preserves, and similar preparations, and makes an excellent jelly. It is juicy with a rich flavour, though one account notes the flavour is not particularly remarkable and the fruits are small, soft, and difficult to harvest in quantity. Flowers are also edible raw. 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.
Trailing wild raspberry: 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 grows on mossy banks and moist woods. In Canada it grows from sea level to the timber line.
Alaska, Asia, Canada, Japan, North America, USA,
How to Identify
A low trailing herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It forms roots at the nodes. The stems are 1 m long. It does not have barbs. The leaves are compound with 3-5 leaflets. There are sharp teeth. The flowers are white and on short stems. The fruit are a small red berry.
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. 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 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 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 layer in July and 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 pedatus is an Asian and North American species of raspberry known under the common names five-leaved bramble, strawberryleaf raspberry and creeping raspberry.
Notes
There are about 250 Rubus species.
References (10)
- Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
- Bowser, M., 2017, Handout on Edible Plants of the Kenai Peninsula. USFWS Kenai National Wildlife Refuge p 18
- Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 580
- Heller, C. A., 1962, Wild Edible and Poisonous Plants of Alaska. Univ. of Alaska Extension Service. p 48
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 764
- MacKinnon, A., et al, 2009, Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine. p 94
- Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 492
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Pl. icon. ined. 3: t. 63. 1791
- Turner, N., 1995, Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples. Royal BC Museum Handbook p 124
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