View a Blackberry PictureClearly Identify this Valuable Herb!
Does this blackberry picture bring back memories? I don't know about you, but just looking at it causes my mouth to water! The tart-sweet taste of a ripe blackberry right off the vine just can't be beat!
But those jellies, pies, crisps, cobblers and muffins come mighty close...YUM! Did I mention jam? The berries are positively worth the thorns you must brave to gather
them!
Probably too well known to need description...but I will do it anyway! This huge family of herbs bears upright canes and trailing vines with 3 to 5 leaflets on each leaf stem. You have heard the little ditty "leaves of three, let them be", in reference to poison ivy. Since three-leaved members of the blackberry family and poison ivy often grow together, you need a sure-fire way to tell them apart, especially in early Spring. The secret is the thorns! Although they will be soft and small on the first year shoots, they are easily seen for positive identification! When in doubt, wait until early July and you will see the juicy berries (see blackberry picture above). Mark the spot, as they will be there each year, if no one messes with them. By and large, the only ones capable of clearing a blackberry thicket are goats and man!
Be sure and look at the pictures of all stages of blackberry's life cycle to give you confidence in identifying it.
There are over 200 different species in this herb's family in the USA, and an estimated 100-200 more worldwide. A very prolific family! So, finding it is usually not a problem. Some species or another grows in just about every part of the world. But, its favorite places are along wood lands, in deserted fields, in hedge-rows and in your backyard!
Thorns galore cover most of the canes or trailing vines. These razor-sharp hooks range in size from fine prickly hairs to monsters like you find on rose bushes. That is why this herb is often thought a nuisance. You will think so too if you don't protect yourself when you go picking!
It's also important to be able to recognize it in all stages of its life cycle because the fruit is not the only usable part of this herb. You can harvest the young shoots before the thorns harden, peel them, slice them and add them to a salad. The throughly dried leaves make a pleasant tasting tea.
But that isn't all! The fruit, leaves and roots are very astringent, so they are known for being good remedies for diarrhea. Handy to have around when the flu or some other nasty intestinal invader comes to call!
When it's time to harvest, cover everything but your face and hands. I even cover most of my hands! This not only protects from the thorns, but also from poison ivy, which is usually lurking near-by. Of course, if you do get into the poison ivy, the antidote, Jewelweed will fix you up in no time!
If you look at more pictures of blackberries,
it will help you identify your berry patch early. Then you can also harvest the tender green shoots and leaves. When you do, learn about what to do with them!
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