Rubus caucasicus

Focke

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit 28 iNaturalist observations

Has a deadly poisonous lookalike — see comparison below

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Summary

A deciduous shrub with hermaphroditic flowers pollinated by insects. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Suitable for mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline soil. Can grow in semi-shade or full sun and prefers moist soil conditions.

Description

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. It is a reasonably well-flavoured blackberry.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw or cooked.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

TEMPERATE ASIA: Turkey (northeast), Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia

Cultivation

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. This species is a blackberry with biennial stems, it produces a number of new stems each year from the perennial rootstock, these stems fruit in their second year and then die. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation

Seed requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed needs one month of stratification at around 3°C and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Prick out seedlings when large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame, then plant out into permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood can be taken in July or August in a frame. Tip layering in July; plant out in autumn. Division can be done in early spring or just before leaf-fall in autumn.

Other Uses

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

Notes

There are about 250 Rubus species.

Dangerous Lookalikes

This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.

DEADLY

Red Baneberry

Actaea rubra

Walter Siegmund (talk)

Safe

Rubus caucasicus

Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.

Rubus caucasicus: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.

Synonyms

Rubus glandulosus var. canescens Boiss.

References (2)

Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 4:183. 1874
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/