Black Raspberry

Rubus occidentails

Edibility - Excellent

Health Benefits - Superior

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Photo taken by Calvin De Jong

Description

Height 1-4 m

Width 1-2 m

Leaves 30-60 mm long, 10-30 mm wide

Flowers 6-8 mm

Seeds 1-2 mm

Fruit 12-15 mm

Black raspberry is a perennial deciduous shrub growing from the same root system for up to 3 years, they grow arching canes with small thorns spread out along the cane and are typically green in color turning reddish in the winter. The flowers and later the fruit appear in a dense umbel shaped clusters, that grows on second-growth canes. The leaves are irregular teeth with small prickles on the leaf stalk and are pinnate, with three to five leaflets.

Distribution and habitat

Black Raspberry grows in rich fertile soils in full sun, it will grow in partial shade but will not produce much fruit. you can typically find Black raspberry growing in open woods, bluffs, thickets, stream banks, wet meadows, along roadsides and old buildings.

Elevation 350-1500 m

Soil moist, rich, well-drained soils, sandy loams

pH 6-8

Zones 4-8

Sun full sun, partial shade

Uses & Benefits

The fruit of Black Raspberry has one of the highest levels of antioxidant levels found in most fruit. The fruit also has extremely dark pigments which can be used as a natural dye.

Parts Used:

Fruit
Leaves

One can use Black Raspberry to:

Improve vision
Cardiovascular health
Memory retention
Hypertension
Aging
Heart disease
Stroke
Alzheimer's disease

Ways to use Black Raspberry:

Jam
Pie
Smoothies
Tea

Calvin De Jong

Content Writer/Photographer

I am a naturalist from the Okanagan. My passions are taken photos of nature and foraging all its wonders.