The Blackberry Bramble, Rubus fruticosus
Description
I'm fairly certain that most people are very familiar with the humble blackberry, and most likely know exactly where to find them - whether you live in the middle of nowhere or the middle of a city, Brambles are absolutely everywhere - and those sweet, plump and delicious berries epitomise, for me, warm, sunny september childhoods, complete with purple-stained lips! The blackberry is where most people start their foraging journey, often collecting them as children. In fact, most people have actually been foraging for years and never realised it! One of the easiest and sweetest choice edibles around, come Autumn. Young leaves can also be used to make tea.
Bramble Checklist
Habitat
🌳 Deciduous Woodland.
🚜 Hedgerows, including field edges.
🏡 Urban Green Spaces, including scrubland, parks and gardens.
🏢 Urban Environments, wasteland, Streets and pavements.
🌊 Waterways, including rivers, lakes and streams.
Season
🌸🌞 Leaves: Mar - May
🍂❄️ Berries: Sep - Nov
Leaves
☘️ Green, ovate, wrinkly, and toothed.
Flowers
🌷 Small, white-pinkish, five-petalled flowers. Some species may have more petals.
Stem
🌱 Thick, creeping, reddish stems that are very thorny.
Berries
🍓 Compound berries with tiny hairs. Starting red then turning black when ripe. They should pull off their stems easily.
Edible Parts
☘️ Leaves
🍓 Berries
Aroma / Taste
👃 Indistinct Aroma
👅 Raw blackberries taste sweet and tart.
😋 We consider blackberries to be a Choice Edible.
ID Notes
🟩 ID Difficulty - Beginner
👀 The Bramble is relatively easy to identify, especially when in fruit. The very familar black berries and sharp, thorny stems are the key identifiers.
⛔️ The sharp thorns of brambles can be quite painful, particularly for small children, so a thin pair of gardening gloves wouldn't go amiss!
Uses
☕️ Beverage - The leaves can used to make teas and the berries for cordial or other drinks.
🧉 Condiment - Berries can be used to make infused vinegar and sauces.
🍨 Sweet - Berries can be used to make desserts, puddings and syrups.
🍓 Yummy - Blackberries are a tasty forage snack