Dewberry/ Spring / Summer / Autumn / Edible

The Dewberry is an interesting perennial relative of Blackberries and raspberries, Dewberry is common across the Northern Europe and Eurasia.

Similar species are found in North America although they typically prefer coastal locations.

Common Names

Dewberry

Botanical Name

Rubus caesius   

Scientific Classification

Kingdom – Plantae

Order –Rosales

Family – Rosaceae

Physical Characteristics for Dewberry

Leaves

The plant looks very similar to a common blackberry, but is overall a bit smaller and less vigorous. The stems are sprawling and covered with small prickles, The leaves are matte green, pointed and roughly serrated, growing in groups of three. Flowers and fruits form on the second years growth. Where the shoot tips touch the ground they can root and form new clone plants. 

Flowers

The flowers  appear from June onwards, and have five white to cream petals, with a cluster of yellow to brown anthers in the middle. The petals are somewhat uneven and untidy looking, with space in between them – It looks a bit like a child’s drawing of a flower. 

Fruits/Seeds 

The fruits form from late summer to autumn and look like a more uneven blackberry, being made up of a cluster of bobbles or ‘drupelets’.  The drupes are smaller but with individual drupelets that are a bit bigger than on a blackberry and more unevenly arranged. They have a waxy coating that makes them look a matte blue colour. They are fragile and easily squished, which can make harvesting messy! There is a small seed inside each individual bobble of the fruit.

Roots

Like other brambles, Dewberry can put out new roots where a shoot touches the ground. The roots are tough and straggly. 

Habitat

Dewberries prefer  disturbed ground and scrub-land, and might sometimes turn up in woodland rides. They seem to really thrive on coastal locations such as sand dunes.

Known Hazards

None known, apart from minor scratches from the prickly stems 

Dewberry Could be Confused with….

It would be very easy to confuse Dewberry with other Rubus species, most often the Blackberry (Rubus Fruticosus) which is much more common. However this would not be a deadly mistake as the other Rubus species are generally also edible. Blackberry plants will generally be larger and more sprawling with smaller more spaced out prickles. Blackberry fruits are typically larger and glossy black rather than matte blue. Other species in this genus to look out for include the Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) 

Edible Uses of Dewberry

The fruits can be eaten just like a blackberry, but taste more tart even when fully ripe . They can be used raw, scattered fresh on desserts, porridge or muesli, incorporated into pies and crumbles or made into jam. The leaves can be used as a herbal tea

Notes on Herbal Uses

Dewberry has traditionally been used to treat inflammation and diarrhoea, but is mainly used as food. The fruits and young shoots are are high in antioxidants and polyphenols – and may have some antibacterial potential.

For more information about Dewberries medicinal benefits click here 

Extra notes from the Foragers

The Dewberry itself isn’t critically endangered, but the habitats you might find it in can be quite rare and sensitive – you should try not to cause too much disturbance on sand dunes for example. Do not go picking on SSSIs, just appreciate the unique ecology and do your bit to preserve it. 

The genus Rubus is pretty confusing even for experienced botanists, with lots of hybrids and micro-species. So don’t beat yourself up if you find them tricky at first! 

In the USA the related plant was cultivated and consequently has more varieties. 

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36234716/ 

https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.m0q 

https://ediblecapecod.ediblecommunities.com/food-thought/dewberries-arcane-history-bramble