How to Grow and Care for Brambles

Red raspberry is a perennial forest shrub with elongated, thorny stems. The stems grow rapidly during their first year and bloom in their second year. The plant produces small, aggregate fruit that has a distinct aroma and a sweet-and-sour taste. Rubus idaeus cultivars are hybrids between this red raspberry and the American species R. Strigosus.

Elmleaf blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius) is a brambly flowering shrub native to Europe and North Africa. This species grows in hedges and woodland edges on calcareous soils. It bears fruits called drupes that are dark purple.

Hirsute raspberry (Rubus hirsutus) is a shrub that grows 1.8 m to 2 m high. Like other members of the rubus genus (such as dewberry, raspberry, and blackberry), the fruits are edible. Another thing every member of this genus has in common is prickly stems. This plant is indigenous to Asia, including China, Korea, and Japan.

Common blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) is a deciduous shrub endemic to North America. This wild plant is commonly found on clearings and woodland margins. Its fruit is edible and has a sweet, mildly spicy taste. The fruits are most commonly eaten raw, but they can also be cooked or dried.

The black raspberry is occasionally grown commercially, although not very popular due to its low yield. Black raspberry can be consumed dried, frozen, fresh, as a purée, juiced or in liqueur. Besides, it can also be used as a natural dye.