Rubus macropetalus
| Rubus macropetalus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Rubus macropetalus (common name: california 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][3][1].
Sometimes cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named forms[4].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: Western N. America - British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Field banks and disturbed areas below 1300 metres in California[4].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[4][5][6]. It can also be dried for later use[7].
The fresh or dried leaves can be used to make a tea[6].
Medicinal: An infusion of the leaves has been used in the treatment of stomach complaints[6].
Usage: A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: R. ursinus macropetalus. (Douglas. ex Hook.)Taylor.&MacBryde.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 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 4.2 Munz, David. A California Flora. University of California Press, 1959.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Gunther, Erna. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press, 1981.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.