Rubus allegheniensis
| Rubus allegheniensis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 10' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rubus allegheniensis (common name: alleghany blackberry)
Propagation: 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[1].
Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn.
Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[1].
Cultivation: Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[2][1].
Plants have biennial stems, they produce a number of new stems from the perennial rootstock each year, these stems fruit in their second year and then die[1].
Often cultivated for its edible fruits in America, it is the parent of many named varieties.
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Ontario, New York, Virginia and North Carolina.
Habitat: Dry thickets, clearings and woodland margins[3].
Edibility: Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use[4][5][6][7]. A pleasant sweet and somewhat spicy flavour[8][9][10][11]. The fruit is about 12mm in diameter[1] and can be 3cm long[12].
Young shoots - raw. They are harvested in the spring, peeled and used in salads[11].
Medicinal: The roots are antihaemorrhoidal, antirheumatic, astringent, stimulant and tonic[7]. An infusion can be used in the treatment of stomach complaints, diarrhoea, piles, coughs and colds, tuberculosis and rheumatism[7]. The infusion has also been used by women threatened with a miscarriage[7]. The root can be chewed to treat a coated tongue[7]. An infusion of the root has been used as a wash for sore eyes[7].
The leaves are astringent[7]. An infusion can be used in the treatment of diarrhoea[7].
An infusion of the bark has been used in the treatment of urinary problems[7].
A decoction of the stems has been used as a diuretic[7].
Usage: A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[13].
Pollinators: Apomictic
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: R. nigrobaccus.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Nicholson, Barbara and Stephen Harrison. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press, 1975.
- ↑ Turner, Nancy. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, 1978.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Simmons, Alan. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles, 1972.
- ↑ McPherson, Alan and Sue McPherson. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press, 1977.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.