Blackberry Leaf

Rubus fruticosus agg.

Blackberry leaves are easily overlooked beside the dark fruits of late summer, yet they belong to one of the hedgerow’s most useful and wildlife-rich plants. Young leaves have a long tradition of being dried for tea, while the flowers, berries and dense thorny stems support insects, birds and mammals.

Habitat & Identification

Bramble is widespread across Britain in hedgerows, scrub, woodland edges, rough grassland, gardens and waste ground. Its vigorous arching stems carry prickles and may root where their tips touch the ground. Leaves usually have three to five toothed leaflets arranged like fingers, dark green above and paler beneath.

White or pale pink five-petalled flowers can appear from late spring into autumn, followed by fruits that ripen from green to red and finally glossy purple-black. Rubus fruticosus agg. describes a complex group of closely related brambles. Check the whole plant and distinguish it from raspberry and low-growing dewberry before gathering.