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Rubus odoratus - L.

Thimbleberry

Author	L.	Botanical references	11, 43, 200
Family	Rosaceae	Genus	Rubus
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Eastern N. America - Quebec to Ontario and south to Tennessee. Occasionally naturalized in Britain.
Habitat	Moist thickets and woodland borders[43].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 2.5m by 2.5m at a medium rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Ground Cover;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[105, 161, 257]. Somewhat tart and dry[2], it is usually cooked and used in pies, jellies, preserves etc[183]. The fruit can be dried for later use[257]. This species rarely fruits well in Britain, probably due to our cooler summers[11].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Astringent; Diuretic; Kidney; Odontalgic; Salve; Stomachic.

The leaves are highly astringent[207]. They are used in the treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea[238]. The leaves have been used as a wash for old and foul sores, boils etc[257]. A decoction or infusion of the branches has been used to settle the stomach[257]. A decoction of the leaves and stems has been used to treat kidney complaints[257]. The root is astringent. A decoction of the root or the root bark has been used as a treatment for diarrhoea and colds[257]. The root has been used in the treatment of toothaches[257]. The berries have been used as a diuretic[257].

Other Uses

Dye; Ground cover.

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[168]. Plants are very vigorous and can be grown as a tall ground cover for large areas[208].

Scented Plants

Stem: Fresh Crushed

The glandular hairs on the stems have a powerful resinous scent somewhat like cedarwood[245].

Cultivation details

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[1, 11, 200]. Grows well in a sandy soil but does not like clay[182]. Prefers a semi-shaded position. Does well in a woodland garden though it is less likely to fruit well in such a position. A very ornamental plant[1], it is hardy to about -30°c[184]. The glandular hairs on the stems have a powerful resinous scent somewhat like cedarwood[245]. A vigorous suckering shrub, it has perennial stems without prickles[200]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - requires stratification, is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Sow stored seed as early as possible in the year in a cold frame and stratify for a month at 3°c if sowing later than February. 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. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Edible Shrubs.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture. 0
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[168] Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
A very good and readable book on dyeing.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[207] Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Rubus odoratus

Sun Oct 23 2005

Hi, I just want to mention that the thimbleberry is also found in the western U.S., from Alaska to Newfoundland, and Alaska to California and on into northern Mexico. I've lived in western Oregon and northwestern California for most of my life, and it's found in both of these locations. Thanks!

Rubus odoratus

Jade Thu Aug 7 2008

I was in Southern British Columbia, Canada. And I ate a Thimbleberry.... I thought it was a strange raspberry

Rubus odoratus

Deanna Gregory Fri Aug 28 2009

I live in Vermont, and when I saw these plants from the road I could have sworen that they were purple roses, to my suprize nopw they are a sort of raspberry, I make jams so I am eager to start picking them. Yummmy to all I knows tummy DEE

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