Rubus arcticus
| Rubus arcticus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 1 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rubus arcticus (common name: arctic bramble)
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.
Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[1]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
Cultivation: Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position[2][3].
A very variable species, it is sometimes divided into three species, viz.:- R. arcticus, R. acaulis and R. stellatus[4].
Range: Northern N. America, N. Europe and N. Asia. Formerly native to Britain in the Scottish highlands[5]
Habitat: Damp peats or gravels, especially on calcareous soils[6].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[7][8][9][10]. Very sweet, juicy and palatable with a pineapple-like aroma[2][4][11][12]. Delicious when eaten out of hand, they are also used in making cakes, jams etc[12]. Unfortunately, they are often not produced very prolifically in a garden situation in Britain, probably because they prefer colder winters.
Flowers - raw. Sweet and delicious[11].
The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute[8][9][12].
Usage: A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[13].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Turner, Nancy. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, 1978.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.