Friday, May 10, 2024

HUNTLEY MEADOWS CONTINUED - THE ALLEGHENY BLACKBERRY

 On our visit to Huntley Meadows I was happy to see these pretty flowers.


They were all along our walk through the wood. It is the Allegheny blackberry. Its other names are Common blackberry, Sow-teat blackberry, American blackberry and Mountain blackberry. Botanical name Rubus allegheniensis.


It is a deciduous shrub native to Eastern Canada and the USA, and is commonly found on clearings and woodland margins. The blooms are seen in late spring or early summer. Its fruit is edible and has a sweet, mildly spicy taste. Those fruits are most commonly eaten raw, but they can also be cooked or dried. 


In the garden, Allegheny blackberry is an ornamental shrub commonly cultivated for its edible berries. This shrub makes an excellent natural privacy screen when used as a border or hedge. It is commonly planted in butterfly gardens, pollinator gardens, meadows and more. The nectar and fruit of the plant attracts birds and a variety of pollinators, while providing valuable nutrients to local wildlife.


While this species of allegheny blackberry is commonly found in North America, it belongs to the larger genus of Rubus blackberries. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is considered unwise to eat blackberries after Old Michaelmas Day in the middle of fall. The legend goes that one should not eat blackberries because the devil has befouled them. It's thought that this myth originated because cool autumn weather can facilitate mold growth on blackberries.


The bark of this plant is dark red in color, and the leaves are green in summer and turn orange, purple or red during autumn. Its fruit is similar in appearance as a raspberry, but it turns black when it matures. Its specific epithet, allegheniensis, refers to the Allegheny Mountains, and that's why it is called Allegheny blackberry.


Indigenous peoples would eat the ripe berries fresh, ground with wild game meat to make pemmican cakes (recipe here), or dried and stored for later consumption. It was also used as a medicine for various ailments, whooping cough, colitis, toothache, anemia and sore throats to name just a few. An infusion of the roots was used as a wash for sore eyes. The blackberry canes were used for making baskets woven with the stems once the thorns were removed. You can read much more if you click on this link. It is all very interesting to find out about these plants.

I expect many of us have memories of picking wild blackberries along the hedgerows in our childhood.  For us it was part of our Sunday outings, and that evening my mother would make a blackberry pie. Blackberries even today are still an all-time favorite fruit of mine.










45 comments:

  1. I NEVER would have thought this is blackberries!!

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    1. It's always surprising to find out such things, thank you Ginny :)

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  2. Oh yes, picking blackberries is one of my favourite childhood memories - though we had to be careful. Snakes often sunned themselves nearby.

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    1. Oh goodness, not snakes! There were no snakes at our blackberry picking, thankfully :)

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  3. Good to read and yes, love blackberries of old Denise.

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  4. What beautiful memories the post brought back.
    We also picked blueberries which were around the fields when we were helping the parents, they were the most delicious treat.
    Thanks Denise for this post!

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    1. So glad this post brought you good memories Katerina! Thank you and you are very welcome :)

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  5. They are such pretty flowers. I loved picking blackberries when I was a child.

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    1. Sounds like it is a wonderful memory for both of us Janice :)

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  6. I remember picking blackberries that were growing on the fence right behind where I used to live when I was first married. I baked several blackberry pies while we lived there.
    This bush is really pretty. Even the leaves are pretty.

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    1. That's lovely that you were able to make so many pies Ann :) I thought the leaves were pretty too :)

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  7. I still pick blackberries and eat them. I was confronted last year with the fact that children are in many respects not permitted to enjoy childhood any more. A little boy, walking by with his mother saw me picking berries off the bush and popping them in my mouth and grabbed a few for himself. He was immediately admonished that he should always remember to wash his hands AND the fruit before eating, and to be careful because those bushes have spiky thorns! He was made to throw the berries to the ground. This is what we have come to. On this annual mushfest called Mother’s Day, some mothers need to learn to be mothers.

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    1. I think we were very lucky to grow up in the time that we did. Fear was not so commonplace or maybe I am making a gross misstatement. Maybe I was wrapped up in cottonwool and just didn't know how to be afraid :)

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  8. Love blackberries! I need to get to the nursery! lol
    hugs
    Donna

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    1. That might be a good idea. I need to learn how to grow them first though. Any tips? Sending hugs Donna :)

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  9. Great post , photos and info. The Blackberries are delicious, I am sure the wildlife around there enjoy the berries. Take care, enjoy your day and have a happy weekend.

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    1. I am sure they do Eileen, the deer probably love them :) Happy rest of the week to you :)

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  10. Yes, I remember blackberry picking when I was a child. Had to watch out for those stinging nettles though.

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  11. Who knew that blackberries had so many uses? We've only picked them once many years ago when we were in Oregon. They were delicious!

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    1. Love those fresh blackberries. I only get them from the store these days :)

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  12. these are the most beautiful blackberry flowers I have ever seen. Have not seen them growing wild since 1959 in KY... gorgeous and I did not know about the pemmican or the cane baskets. I love black berries and once in a while buy a teeny tiny box that cost 5 dollars. they are really expensive as is the 9 dollar for a watermelon now

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    1. Aren't they a beautiful flower? The things you mentioned were new to me also :) Yes, those teeny-tiny boxes are an occasional treat these days :)

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  13. U nas też rosną jeżyny , bardzo lubię te owoce. Miłego weekendu:)

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    1. Zgadzam się, to pyszne owoce. Dziękuję i życzę wspaniałego czwartku! :)

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  14. I didn't know there were so many different kinds of blackberries. I love homemade pemmican and haven't made them for a while..time to start another batch!

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    1. You are the first person I know who has made pemmican. How wonderful! Thank you Angie :)

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  15. We just bought the sweetest bkackberries

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    1. Oh lucky you! Pie or eating fresh? Love your recipes and ideas Christine :)

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  16. Blackberries grow wild in abundance in Western Washington where we moved from. It was so much fun to pick them. My parents liked to travel up when the blackberries were ripe so they could pick them and make Blackberry syrup, delicious. Our oldest son would pick them and take them around to small local restaurants to sell. I love the blooms you shared! Denise, have a lovely Mother's Day weekend.

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    1. I never thought of making blackberry syrup Ellen, how wonderful! Fun to know of your oldest son's business with the local restaurants also. Thank you Ellen, I am a bit late getting around to blogs but I'm looking forward to getting back to them :)

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  17. I love a sweet and spicy combo. One of my faves.

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    1. Yes, it's a great combination isn't it Ivy? :)

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  18. Yes, happy memories of my mums blackberry pie sometimes with additional apple :)

    All the best Jan

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    1. Oh, the apple sounds like a super addition Jan :) All the best to you too!

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  19. I have many fond berry picking memories. I can see why it would have been fun to discover these!

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    1. That's wonderful Jeanie, and yes it was fun though we did no picking as I wasn't really 100 percent sure at what I was looking at until I got home. Now I know :)

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  20. Picking blackberries is one of my favorite things to do on this earth...we used to go pick them and we picked a lot...and mom would make jelly and jam and also can some to have for pies/cobblers. Blackberry jelly is my favorite.

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    1. What great memories Rose, thanks for sharing those :)

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  21. Such beautiful flowers are the gardens. It's great that you have a place to visit with so many wonderful different flowers and plants and shrubs to look at. There was a rose garden next to my hometown, and I really miss visiting there. It had roses in every color!

    ~Sheri

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    1. Thank you Sheri, we are very fortunate to live with all these wonderful parks and gardens around us :) Your rose garden sounds devine!

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  22. The blackberry flowers are are very pretty and then along come all the lovely berries. Happy childhood memories of stained fingers, delicious pies and simple fun .

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    1. Hello Beverley :) Nature has many gifts in one plant that's for sure. Love the memory you have of stained fingers, delicious pies and simple fun. A lovely way of putting it. I call these things simple pleasures but priceless treasures :)

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  23. It's very nice to know you had that memory Linda :) Thanks for sharing it my friend.

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