Rubus caucasicus
a perennial woody deciduous member of the Rubus genus in the family Rosaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Fruit - raw or cooked[K]. A reasonably well-flavoured blackberry[K].
- Plant part
- Fruit
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[3].
- Product or use
- Dye
Environment
- Habitat
- Not known
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[4]. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[4].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[1][2][4]. This species is a blackberry with biennial stems, it produces a number of new stems each year from the perennial rootstock, these stems fruit in their second year and then die[K]. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[4].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5