Herb: Dewberry


Latin name: Rubus caesius


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Edible parts of Dewberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Succulent but not very tasty. A delicious flavour, it is considered to be superior to blackcurrants though the fruit is rather small and consists of just a few drupes. The fruit can be used for making jellies, preserves etc. The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
June to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Hedgerows, amongst shrubs and in rough dry meadowland, usually on basic soils.

Other uses of Dewberry:

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

Propagation of the herb:

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 is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn.

Cultivation of Dewberry:

Hedgerows, amongst shrubs and in rough dry meadowland, usually on basic soils.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Rubus caesius:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.