Rubus stans — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The orange-red fruit measures 8–11 mm in diameter.

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

Zhi li xuan gou zi

Rubus stans

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

Zhi li xuan gou zi: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.

Where to Find It

In China it grows in high mountain forests between 2,000 and 4,000 m altitude in southern provinces. In grows in Sichuan and Yunnan.

Asia, China, Tibet,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A shrub. It grows 1-2 m tall. There are prickles. The leaves have leaflets along the stalks and one at the end. There are 3 leaflets. There can be 3 or 4 flowers at the ends of branches or single flowers in the axils of leaves. The flowers petals are white. The fruit is aggregate and orange-red. They are about 1 cm across. There are some botanical varieties.

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 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 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

None known.

Other Uses

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit.

Wikipedia

Deciduous shrub growing 1.5 m tall with hermaphroditic flowers June to July and seeds ripening August to September. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with preference for well-drained conditions. Tolerates mildly acid to basic soils. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, preferring moist soil.

Production

In China plants flower in May and June and fruit in July to August.

Notes

There are about 250 Rubus species.

Names & Synonyms

Hongpai, Yongde

References (4)

Flora of China. 9:195-285, 2003
Ju, Y., et al, 2013, Eating from the wild: diversity of wild edible plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la region, Yunnan, China, Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethno medicine 9:28
Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 5:76. 1911
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/