Dewberry - Rubus caesius
Dewberry - Rubis caesius
Edible plant - novice
Other common names: European Dewberry, Blue Bramble, Theve Thorn
Season - Summer
Scientific name meaning: Rubus is from the Latin Rubra, meaning red. Caesius is also Latin and means light grey or blueish
Habitat
Found in woodland, along hedgerows, on heathland and scrubland. It does well on poor soils and is a native of the UK
Overall structure
Low growing with long scrambling stems
Leaves
The bright-green to dark-green leaves are trifoliate - having three leaflets. The base pair of leaflets often have a slight lower lobe, giving the leaf an almost palmate appearance. The leaflets' edges are toothed and the edge is often wavy. A small amount of prickles are present on the underside of the leaf
Stems
The round stems and scramble along the ground. They put down roots where their tip touches the ground new. The green stems brown with age and have a blueish cast to them. The stems have prickles, but considerably fewer than most species of Blackberry
Flowers
The flowers of Dewberry have five white petals. They are in bloom in Springtime.
Fruits
The fruits are made up of dark purple, almost black, drupelets - but far fewer than in a Blackberry or Raspberry. The drupelets have a blue-grey cast to them. The fruits ripen in Summer
Possible lookalikes
Could easily be confused with Blackberry, however Dewberry has only a few drupelets that also have a blue-grey cast to them
Use as a food The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. It is widely considered to have a superior flavour to Blackberry.
The leaves can be used to make an infusion (tea).
Hazards None known at time of writing
Use in herbal medicine None known
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner
Importance to other species provides a food source for pollinators, birds and mammals
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!