Herb: Creeping Bramble


Latin name: Rubus tricolor


Synonyms: Rubus polytrichus


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Edible parts of Creeping Bramble:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The best forms can fruit quite well and have a good size and flavour. Another report says that they are bland. The bright red fruits are up to 17mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
July

Habitat of the herb:

Steep banks and in scrub on mountains to 3000 metres. Slopes, forests and thickets at elevations of 1800 - 3600 metres in Sichuan and Yunnan.

Other uses of Creeping Bramble:

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit. A good vigorous ground cover plant for sun or shade. It grows strongly but requires weeding for the first year or so. New roots are formed at intervals along the stem. It should only be grown with trees and other tall plants otherwise it will swamp them.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - requires stratification, is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Sow stored seed as early as possible in the year in a cold frame and stratify for a month at 3°C if sowing later than February. 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. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring.

Cultivation of Creeping Bramble:

Steep banks and in scrub on mountains to 3000 metres. Slopes, forests and thickets at elevations of 1800 - 3600 metres in Sichuan and Yunnan.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Rubus tricolor:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.