Wild Cane Fruits
by Holly S. Kennell, WSU Extension Agent
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Mary Robson (Ret.) Area Extension Agent
Regional Garden Column September 2, 2001
It seems that I get asked how to eradicate blackberries at least once a week. This column has answered that question several times, so the next couple will be devoted to enjoying wild berries. Of common edible wild plants, berries are those most people are willing to try. Our wild blackberries, raspberries and other cane fruits are among the best of the lot.
Blackberry
The trailing blackberry is our only native blackberry. It has bluish, thin, weak stems and is often found in fairly deep woods. Its berries, though not large or over-abundant, are delicious. The Himalayan and Evergreen blackberries are the ones we commonly see by the roadsides and in vacant lots. (And, all too often, they come up in our gardens from seed sown by passing birds.) The fruit is big, delicious and plentiful.
Cultivated blackberries, such as Marionberries, Loganberries and Cascadeberries, are crosses of various wild blackberries. I don't think the "improvements" are that significant other than the thornless types. If it wasn't for the fact that Marionberries remind my mother-in-law of the farm where she grew up, I wouldn't give them space in my garden.
One August several years ago, a writer for a gourmet-cooking magazine from back east visited our area and asked to be shown a good local food garden. I took her to the large garden of a very skilled and innovative Master Gardener on Vashon Island, knowing he would give her lots about which to write.
We did fine until we got to a corner where the wild blackberries at the edge of his woods caught her attention. As she nibbled, she asked what cultivar they were. We told her that they were wild, basically weeds. She obviously didn't believe us, but since we stuck to our story, she finally gave up and finished the tour. She was put out with me on the ferry ride back to Seattle, sure that I was trying to pull her leg.
Blackcap
These delicious wild raspberries are the favorite of many wild food fanciers. When someone finds a spot where they are abundant, they are usually very vague about describing where it was. Like a cultivated raspberry, the berry pulls away from the white "core" as you harvest. The most common is black when ripe, though there is one that is red when mature.
Rose Hips
Red hips are the fruit of the wild rose, found in open meadows. The rinds of the hips can be eaten raw. Remove the seeds before cooking the hips for use in teas, jams or jellies. Simply cut them in half and scoop out the center stuff. Rose hips contain high levels of Vitamin C.
Salmonberry
These canes have fuchsia red flowers and golden or reddish orange berries. Equal variety is found in the flavor of the berries with some being much better than others. I value them chiefly because they are earlier than most other berries (June). They are very delicate, so pick them into a shallow container or the weight of the lop layer will turn the lower ones to mush.
Thimbleberry
Their big, fuzzy maple-like leaves make this red raspberry relative distinctive. Another unique characteristic is that they don't have thorns. Some plants are more flavorful than others. Good ones taste rich with sweetness balanced by a slight tang. Poor ones are more fuzz and seeds than flavor. I often ignore them, if there are other berries to be had.
Make sure of the identity of the plant before you start sampling. Be sure not to pick berries if the plants look like they might have been sprayed with an herbicide. And, of course, get the property owner's permission before harvesting on private property.
Hortsense: Managing plant problems with Integrated Pest Management
