Pacific Dewberry, California blackberry
Rubus ursinus
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Rubus ursinus is a deciduous Shrub. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7 and is not frost tender. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0
Where it is found
Waste places, fields, canyons etc below 1000 metres.
South-western N. America - California to Oregon.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Fruit - raw or cooked and used in pies, preserves etc. The fruit can also be dried for later use. A sweet flavour. The fruit can vary in flavour, the best forms have a large, sweet and well flavoured fruit, whilst some forms are large but sour or insipid. Young shoots - raw or cooked like asparagus. They are harvested in the spring as they emerge through the soil and are still tender. A tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves. The young shoots can be made into a tea, usually mixed with the young shoots of other Rubus species. The half-ripe fruits can be soaked in water to make a pleasant drink.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The dried bark of the root is astringent and has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery. A decoction of the roots has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery. The roots have been used as a disinfectant wash on infected sores. The fresh fruit has been eaten in the treatment of diarrhoea. A decoction of the entire vine has been used in the treatment of stomach complaints, diarrhoea and a general feeling of sickness. A decoction of the vines and roots has been used in the treatment of vomiting and the spitting of blood.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Other
Rating: 1
A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
How it is grown
Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. This species is the parent of many hybrid cultivated forms, including the loganberry and the primus berry. Some botanists include the cultivated loganberry (treated here as a separate species, R. loganobaccus) under this species. 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.
Propagating it: 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.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist