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Black Raspberries
The black raspberry is an upright arching shrub growing four to six feet in height and will become quite a tangle in a few years if growing conditions are suitable. The fruit is eaten by many animals which includes nearly all the game birds and big game animals. The defecated seeds can lay dormant for several years waiting for the right environmental conditions for germination. Any soil disturbance which brings sunlight to the seeds may cause them to begin growing.
These berries readily propagate themselves by spreading roots and natural tip layering where the cane tips touch the ground. Gardeners can easily move plants to other desired locations. Wild black raspberries are hardy.Most of us eat them out of hand right off the bush. However, they do make fine jam and jelly and my favorite black raspberry pie. We have not observed a lot of bird or game animal assaults on our wild patches so there must be enough wild plantings nearby to go around.
My people made a tea from black raspberry roots used to treat stomach aches. Black raspberry root teas where also used as a traditional treatment for bleeding disorders. Berry juice was used as a flavoring.
The leaves are alternate with serrated margins. The red-purple canes have stiff thorns and usually live only two years. Fruiting occurs on these two-year old canes. In late spring, small flowers appear which have little ornamental value. Small juicy delicious reddish-deep purple berries appear between strawberry and blueberry harvest filling the gap for us hungry gatherers.