Herb: American Dewberry


Latin name: Rubus canadensis


Synonyms: Rubus millspaughii


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of American Dewberry:

The stems and the fruit have been used in the treatment of dysentery. A decoction of the root has been used in the treatment of dysentery.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
2.5 m
(8 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July

Habitat of the herb:

Thickets, woods and clearings.

Edible parts of American Dewberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked in pies, jams etc. Sweet, juicy and richly flavoured, it is generally preferred to most other species of blackberries. The fruit can be pressed into cakes and then dried for later use. The fruit can be up to 25mm long.

Other uses of the herb:

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

Propagation of American Dewberry:

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 the herb:

Thickets, woods and clearings.

Known hazards of Rubus canadensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.