Rubus pensilvanicus
Poir.
Pennsylvania Blackberry, Yankee blackberry
Wikimedia Commons - Gordon Tucker
(c) J. Richard Abbott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by J. Richard Abbott
User:SB_Johnny (via Wikimedia Commons)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
Fruit can be eaten fresh or cooked.
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.
Pennsylvania Blackberry: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant.
North America, USA,
How to Identify
A deciduous shrub reaching 3 m tall with hermaphroditic flowers pollinated by insects. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Grows in mildly acidic to alkaline pH ranges and adapts to semi-shade or full sun, preferring consistently moist conditions.
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 germinates best when sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed needs one month at 3°C and should be sown as early as possible in spring. Transplant seedlings outdoors in late spring. Alternatively, take half-ripe cuttings in July/August, use tip layering in July, or divide established plants in early spring or autumn.
Medicinal Uses
None known
Other Uses
Fruit yields a purple to dull blue dye.
Wikipedia
Source ↗A deciduous shrub reaching 3 m tall with hermaphroditic flowers pollinated by insects. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Grows in mildly acidic to alkaline pH ranges and adapts to semi-shade or full sun, preferring consistently moist conditions.
Notes
There are about 250 Rubus species.
References (3)
- Encycl. 6:246. 1804
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Toupal, R. S. & Hollenback, K., 2009, An Ethnobotany of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore: Plant Uses of the Ojibwa People. Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology. University of Arizona
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