Photo: Doug Goldman. USDA-NRCS-NPDT United States, NY, Tompkins Co., Dryden., Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Allegheny Blackberry

Rubus allegheniensis

Also known as Mountain Blackberry, Allegheny Blackbrry, American Blackberry

At a glance

Family

Rosaceae (rose family)

Type

Deciduous, thorny bramble (perennial shrub)

Parts used

Ripe berries, leaves, and sometimes root bark

Size

Arching canes 3 to 6 feet, sometimes reaching 9 feet

Bloom

Late spring into early summer, May to June

Habitat

Woodland edges, fencerows, old pastures, and sunny clearings across the eastern United States and Appalachia

Acquisition

Forage or grow

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Traditionally soothing and astringent

Rich in vitamin C

Traditionally settles the stomach

Generous, nourishing wild food

Traditional uses

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Long before anyone bottled it, the Allegheny blackberry was a mainstay of Appalachian home medicine. Its leaves, tight with tannins, were steeped into a simple tea that families reached for to settle an upset stomach or ease everyday looseness of the bowels, and the same brew was gargled for a scratchy throat. The dark, sun-warmed berries themselves were eaten fresh, dried for winter, or simmered into syrups understood to be strengthening, especially for children and the elderly. Root bark tea had its own quieter reputation as a gut-settling remedy among early American herbalists, though it was used more sparingly than the gentler leaf.

Growing guide

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Sun

Full sun for the heaviest fruiting, though it tolerates part shade at a woodland edge

Soil

Well-drained, slightly acidic loam; established plants shrug off leaner soil

Water

Keep evenly moist through the first year, then it settles into real drought tolerance

Planting

Set root cuttings or young canes in early spring, spaced 3 to 4 feet apart, with a fence or trellis nearby to keep the arching canes off the ground

Fresh to dried

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Harvest

Gather leaves in late spring before flowering, when they are tender and deep green; pick berries in mid to late summer once they turn fully black, dull, and let go of the stem with a light tug

Drying

Spread leaves in a single layer on a screen in a warm, shaded, airy spot until they turn brittle and crumble easily

Storage

Keep dried leaf in an airtight jar away from light and heat; it holds its character for about a year

Best forms

Dried leaf for tea, fresh berries for eating out of hand, and preserves or syrup for keeping the harvest through winter

Traditional preparations

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Featured preparation

Blackberry Leaf Tea

The classic Appalachian home remedy, a mild, astringent tea traditionally sipped to settle a fussy stomach.

How it's made. Steep 1 teaspoon of dried blackberry leaf in 250 ml of just-boiled water for 8 to 10 minutes, then strain. Traditionally taken warm, up to twice a day.

Secondary preparation

Sore Throat Gargle

The same leaf tea, brewed a touch stronger, gargled for a scratchy or irritated throat.

How it's made. Steep 1 heaping teaspoon of dried leaf in 250 ml of just-boiled water for 10 minutes, cool until comfortable, and gargle rather than swallow.

Pairs well with

✦Raspberry leaf
✦Peppermint
✦Chamomile

Substitutes

✦Red raspberry leaf
✦Agrimony

Choose it when

“For the bramble patch that gives you scratched forearms, purple fingers, and a pie by evening.”

Did you know?

Blackberry canes are tip-layering plants, meaning an arching cane that touches the ground can root right at its tip and start an entirely new plant, which is part of why a single bramble can wander into a thicket within just a few seasons.

Safety

The ripe berries are a safe, ordinary food. Blackberry leaf tea is astringent and may cause stomach upset in excess, so it's traditionally used in moderation rather than as a daily drink.