Purple-flowered raspberry (Rubus odoratus) is common around Haliburton county, Ontario. You’ll typically find this edible and medicinal shrub on bushy roadside banks in sandy, gravelly and rocky ground.
It’s a shrubby thornless raspberry that looks like a maple (due to the shape of its large leaves) and is sometimes called maple leaved raspberry. It also resembles a rose (showy pink-purple flowers) more so than a bramble. Most of us are puzzled when we first see it in the wild! This headscratcher could be confused with maple saplings or bush cranberries or its relation roses.
Edible Uses of Purple-flowered Raspberry
This edible raspberry is the last bramble berry to ripen in our area, mid-late September being peak time. The same time American spikenard berries are good for the plucking.
Some of its bland reputation is from being plucked off forcibly and too early. When it’s fully ripe the fruit will pop right off. To my surprise the ripe fruit was pleasant tasting. If you cultivate enough of them, you could use the seedy berries in jams and jellies, syrups, and baked goods.
Medicinal Uses of Purple-flowered Raspberry
Purple-flowered raspberry is primarily said to support these body systems:
- Digestive
- Integumentary
Medicinal tags include Astringent and Diuretic. See Medicinal tag key for more information.
Common usage includes as an astringent for conditions like diarrhea. It’s a lesser used bramble but usage mirrors wild red raspberries.
Alternative Uses of Thimbleberry
The berries make a blue to purple dye.
Like some native ferns we’ve posted before, raspberries can be used to crowd out some invasive species. But like all raspberries they will spread and can be aggressive in lawns.
Growing Rubus Odoratus
Of all our brambles, this native raspberry shrub has the showiest flowers. At a glance they look like native roses, a close relative.
Like all Rubus spp. new shoots fruit on their second year, so be careful not to trim them. Other tricks to get more fruit than usual are to plant a few of them and in full sun. They like the acidic soil around Haliburton, Ontario. As is typical with brambles, they will want to take over a lawn, but the wildlife will love them. You can find purple flowering raspberry at native plant nurseries or grow it from divisions.
WARNINGS
And the Usual Cautions:
1) Most medicinal herbs, if edible, are meant to be eaten in moderation, even sparingly. Some require extra preparation. Tannins are toxic if consumed in excess. Before taking any new supplements, you should consult with a healthcare professional.
2) A vast amount of these herbs are diuretic. (See the Medicinal tags above to check if this featured herb is one of them!) Diuretics are generally safe, but they can be risky for people with other medical conditions or who take certain medications. Please consult your doctor if you have any health conditions.
3) People can be allergic or sensitive to nearly any plant; try new herbs one at a time at your own risk. For instance, saponins commonly cause stomach upset.
4) For serious medicinal use, I must recommend receiving a diagnosis and working with a reputed health care provider. I generally do not post specific treatments and dosages because I think that is best between you and your health care provider, and ideally monitored.
5) Anyone pregnant, nursing, or taking prescription drugs should talk to a health care professional before adding new food items to their diet.
6) Many plants have look-a-likes, and sometimes they are poisonous.
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REFERENCES
My new favourite foraging book is Sam Thayer’s Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: of Eastern and Central North America (The Sam Thayer’s Field Guides) Paperback – June 1, 2023 and this plant IS featured as one of the edible wild plants in this area. I highly recommend this guide for your bookshelves!
Rubus odoratus Linnaeus – Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN)
Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants
The Herb Book: The Most Complete Catalog of Herbs Ever Published (Dover Cookbooks)
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