close

Nature’s Garden

4 min read

When is a berry not a berry? Two examples are if it’s a blackberry or raspberry. Blackberries and raspberries are commonly called “brambles.” They belong to the genus Rubus, which is in the rose family. They also are closely related to strawberries-also a fruit, not a berry, if you want to know the truth.

If they’re not berries, what are they? “Aggregate fruit” is the correct term. The flowers of blackberries and raspberries have many dozens of ovaries each. So, when a flower is pollinated many little fruits, called drupelets, are formed in a group-thus the term aggregate fruit. Especially interesting, I find, is that each of the little drupelets in a raspberry or blackberry is the same structure as a much larger stone fruit, such as a cherry or plum or peach. Each little drupe has a thin skin surrounding the flesh of the fruit, and inside each a tiny little pit contains a seed.

True berries, on the other hand, are formed from flowers with one ovary, and the mature fruit contains multiple seeds. Blueberries, cranberries, grapes and tomatoes are berries.

Getting back to blackberries and raspberries, these fruits have other curious characteristics. Raspberries have fine hairs on their fruit surface; blackberries do not. When you pick ripe blackberries they retain the receptacle upon which the drupelets form, so they are a more solid fruit; raspberries do not and, thus, are hollow and more fragile.

The Rubus group is quite diverse, with some 250 species. And they are found around the world in a variety of habitats, from coastlines to mountain slopes. I’ve read the only places you won’t find them growing naturally are Australia and Antarctica.

Blackberries are native to Asia, Europe, North and South America. Our native species is Rubus allegheniensis and it makes itself right at home in the less cultivated areas of my property. Unless it’s in the way, I let it alone and enjoy the bonus fruit during late summer.

I’ve read that in Europe blackberries have been used for food, medicinal purposes and as a protective hedge for more than 2,000 years. As a former grower of thorned blackberries, I have a healthy respect for their anti-trespassing power. That’s why I’m growing thornless varieties these days, and I no longer look like I regularly tangle in barbed wire.

Red raspberries are native to Asia Minor and North America. Our native red raspberry, R. idaeus, is very common and its fruit is delicious. You might also see the purple-flowering raspberry, R. odoratus, in the wild. It has a larger, prettier flower, but its fruits aren’t as sweet, I’m told.

Like blackberries, red raspberries have been hybridized for better growing characteristics, as well as larger and more-tasty fruit. In my garden is a type of red raspberry that I don’t know the name of. That’s unfortunate because it is one of the best raspberries I have ever grown or tasted. Fortunately, it is quite prolific, so I have been able to divide it and increase my harvest.

Black raspberry, R. occidentalis, is native only to North America.

These brambles make excellent garden plants in our region. They grew successfully for me in the past, so I’m making room this year to add them again to my garden next spring.

Some commercially-grown brambles are hybrids from blackberry-red raspberry crosses. Loganberry and boysenberry are probably two of the most commonly known. Purple raspberries also are a result of this kind of cross.

If you want to grow brambles, I highly recommend it-just know what you’re getting into. Red raspberries are the easiest and take the least amount of space. Blackberries can be a handful to manage, but you can pick varieties for specific growing habits. Black raspberries fall in the middle of the other two.

Regardless that they are a curious fruit erroneously called a berry, it doesn’t really matter. They all taste great picked fresh, baked in a pie, made into jam, or whirled into homemade ice cream. Need I say more?

Susan Brimo-Cox gardens, observes nature and writes in Ohiopyle.

Readers can send questions or comments to her at naturesgarden@brimo-cox.com.

###

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $4.79/week.

Subscribe Today