Herb: Bush Lawyer


Latin name: Rubus cissoides


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Edible parts of Bush Lawyer:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is about 7mm in diameter. The sap can be extracted and used raw or cooked.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Climber

Height:
4 m
(13 feet)

Flowering:
June to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Forests from lowland to montane areas throughout New Zealand.

Other uses of Bush Lawyer:

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 Bush Lawyer:

Forests from lowland to montane areas throughout New Zealand.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Rubus cissoides:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.