One Plant a Week: Blackberry

August 4, 2025 Harvesting Nature

This is the thirteenth post in our new series, One Plant a Week, where we learn a new, edible plant every week. That means that if you follow along, you’ll know 52 new plants after only a year of doing this. As our foraging expert guest Pascal Baudar said on the Wild Fish and Game Podcast, that will make you more of a wild plant expert than 99.99999% of the population.

We recommend you go out and find these plants if they exist in your region. You don’t necessarily have to harvest them; simply familiarize yourself with them and get to know them well. See them in their different phases of life, in different terrains and conditions. See who else likes to eat them (Bears? Squirrels?), pollinate them (Butterflies? Hummingbirds?), or use them (Nesting birds? Muskrats?). Use plant ID apps, along with foraging/ID books, online resources, and mentors to teach yourself about them more and to get comfortable enough with them that you can ID to 100% accuracy.

Then, if you feel confident enough, bring some home and try preparing some to eat. Try doing this with different specimens in different stages of life to see when it is best to harvest them. Knowing these plants through and through will transform the way you interact with the outdoors, as well as the way you see food. A warning though: this is an addictive hobby!

An additional warning: Plant ID apps are not 100% accurate, and you should not be eating ANYTHING wild unless you are 100% sure that it is safe to do so. Do not rely solely on one source for your information (including us), and do not eat anything unless you’ve properly identified it.

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This Week is All About Blackberries!

Blackberries (Rubus spp.) are one of the most recognizable and rewarding wild edibles to forage across North America and much of the temperate world. Packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, and manganese, these juicy berries offer significant health benefits and can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Wild blackberries are especially high in anthocyanins, the compounds responsible for their color, which support heart health and can reduce inflammation. They’ve long been prized not just for their flavor but also for their medicinal properties.

Blackberry plants grow as sprawling, thorny shrubs in hedgerows, woodland edges, roadsides, abandoned lots, open fields, and sunny clearings. They thrive in disturbed soils and can often be found reclaiming open fields or the edges of forests. The berries ripen from midsummer into early fall, depending on region and elevation. When ripe, they turn from bright red to a deep purplish-black and come off the stem with a gentle tug. Their flavor is rich, tangy-sweet, and sometimes slightly earthy. They are universally enjoyed around the world.

Historically, blackberries were used by Indigenous peoples and early settlers for both food and medicine. The berries were eaten fresh, dried, or made into preserves, while the leaves and roots were brewed into teas to treat digestive issues and inflammation. Today, blackberries continue to be valued in everything from baked goods and jams to sauces, cordials, and wildcrafted wines. Their versatility, abundance, and nutritional value make them a perfect gateway plant for new foragers.

Description:

Blackberry shrubs are hardy, perennial brambles that grow in dense, arching thickets. Their stems (called canes) are often covered in sharp thorns and can reach several feet in length. First-year canes, called primocanes, are typically green and flexible, while second-year canes, floricanes, are woodier and bear the flowers and fruit. Leaves are compound, usually with three to five toothed leaflets, dark green on top and lighter underneath.

In late spring to early summer, blackberry shrubs produce clusters of white to pale pink five-petaled flowers. These attract pollinators and develop into fruit over the following weeks.

Berries start as green, transition through red, and ripen to a deep black when ready to harvest. Look for blackberries from July through September, depending on your region. Peak ripeness is usually indicated when berries are plump, glossy, and detach easily with little resistance.

To harvest, wear gloves, pants, and long sleeves to protect against thorns. Bring a sturdy container that won’t crush the berries and pick only the ripest fruits, leaving red or under-ripe ones to mature. It’s best to harvest in the morning when berries are cool and firm but after the dew has dried. Be sure to forage away from roadsides or areas that may have been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides.

Lookalikes:

Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) – These closely related cousins are also edible and delicious, but their fruit is smaller and more rounded. The biggest giveaway is that when picked, black raspberries leave behind a white cone on the plant, while blackberries retain the core. Their canes are also bluish-white with a waxy coating, unlike green blackberry canes.

Dewberry (Rubus flagellaris and others) – Dewberries are low-growing relatives of blackberries, often found trailing along the ground. Their fruit ripens earlier in the summer and is typically smaller but equally edible. The main difference lies in the plant’s size and habit: dewberries sprawl rather than form tall thickets.

Edibility:

When collecting blackberries, handle the berries gently to avoid crushing them. Choose only firm, fully black berries and place them in a shallow basket or container to prevent squishing. Do not wash them in the field; instead, store them cool and wash them just before use. If not using immediately, refrigerate and consume within 1–2 days, or freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag.

To process blackberries, rinse gently and pick through to remove stems or insects. They can be cooked down into jams, jellies, and syrups, or dried for trail snacks and teas. Their tartness and natural pectin make them ideal for preserves, and they pair well with sugar, lemon, and spices like cinnamon or ginger. They can also be fermented into wines, infused into vinegars or cordials, or added to meat sauces for wild game.

Recommended Uses for Blackberries: