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Rubus parviflorus - Nutt.

Thimbleberry

Author	Nutt.	Botanical references	11, 200
Family	Rosaceae	Genus	Rubus
Synonyms	Rubus nutkanus - Moçino. ex Ser.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Western N. America - Alaska to Ontario and California. Occasionally naturalized in Britain[17].
Habitat	Woodlands, canyons and open areas[62].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	3 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 2.5m by 2m 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: Flowers; Fruit; Stem.

Fruit - raw or cooked[62, 101, 118, 183]. It makes excellent jams and preserves[257]. The fruit can also be dried for later use[183]. A sweet and pleasant flavour[2, 85, 94] though this is not always properly developed in the cooler summers of Britain[11]. The fruit is very seedy[155]. Rich in vitamin C[183]. The hemispherical fruit is about 20mm in diameter[200]. Young shoots - peeled and eaten cooked or raw[2, 85, 101, 118, 172]. The shoots are harvested as they emerge in the spring, and whilst they are still young and tender[161, 183]. They can be cooked like asparagus[257]. The shoots are rich in vitamin C[183]. Flowers - raw[172].

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.

Antiemetic; Antiphlogistic; Appetizer; Astringent; Blood tonic; Poultice; Salve; Stomachic; Tonic; Women's complaints.

The leaves are antiemetic, astringent, blood tonic and stomachic[172, 257]. An infusion is used internally in the treatment of stomach complaints, diarrhoea and dysentery, anaemia, the spitting up of blood and to treat vomiting[238, 257]. An infusion has been taken by women when their periods are unusually long[257]. A poultice of the dried powdered leaves has been used to treat wounds and burns[257]. The leaves have been crushed and rubbed over the skin to treat pimples and blackheads[257]. A poultice of the leaf ashes, mixed with oil, has been used to treat swellings[257]. The young shoots are alterative and antiscorbutic[257]. The roots are appetizer, astringent, stomachic and tonic[172, 257]. An infusion has been used by thin people to help them gain weight[257]. An infusion has also been used in the treatment of stomach disorders, diarrhoea and dysentery[238, 257]. A decoction of the roots has been taken in the treatment of pimples and blackheads[257].

Other Uses

Dye; Ground cover; Lining; Soap.

The leaves are used to line baskets etc for carrying soft fruit or other delicate items[99, 118]. Plants are very vigorous and can be grown as a tall ground cover for large areas[208]. A soap is obtained from the boiled bark[99, 118, 257]. A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[168].

Cultivation details

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[1, 11, 200]. Can be grown in a woodland garden though it is less likely to fruit well in such a position[K]. This plant has perennial stems without prickles[200] and is less invasive than the related R. odoratus[182]. 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

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[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.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.

[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.

[94] Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. 1962 ISBN 0-911010-54-8
Useful wild plants in Western N. America. A pocket guide.

[99] Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7
Excellent and readable guide.

[101] Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences 1978
A very readable guide to some wild foods of Canada.

[118] Gunther. E. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press 1981 ISBN 0-295-95258-X
A small book, it is a good guide to useful plants in Western N. America.

[155] Arnberger. L. P. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwestern Monuments Ass. 1968
A lovely little pocket guide to wild plants in the southern Rockies of America.

[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.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest. 0
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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 parviflorus

Jian-Min Zhou Tue Mar 17 2009

Hi, I would like to buy some seeds. Can you tell me where I can buy them? Thanks

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