Herb: Cloudberry


Latin name: Rubus chamaemorus


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Cloudberry:

A decoction of the roots has been used as "woman's medicine". A decoction of the root and lower stem has been used by barren women to try and become pregnant. The root has been used in the treatment of coughs, fevers and consumption.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
June to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Cool boggy places, often found amongst bilberries on hills and mountain sides, avoiding shade and calcareous soils.

Edible parts of Cloudberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sour but delicious, the fruit can be eaten out of hand or stewed, used in preserves, pies etc. Rich in vitamin C. The sweet fruit tastes like baked apples. Flowers - raw. The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute.

Other uses of the herb:

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

Propagation of Cloudberry:

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. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn.

Cultivation of the herb:

Cool boggy places, often found amongst bilberries on hills and mountain sides, avoiding shade and calcareous soils.

Known hazards of Rubus chamaemorus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.