Bramble Blackberry

Description:

Brambles are deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs that are in leaf from March to November . Unusually, the ripe fruits can be seen on the plants at the same time as the flowers . It flowers from May to September, with the seeds ripening from July to October . Blackberry seeds were discovered in the stomach of a Neolithic human dug up on the Essex coast, indicating that the berries have been enjoyed by humans for thousands of years . Blackberrying is one of the most widespread foraging activities to continue today, and they have been picked commercially in many areas . As well as their many culinary uses, blackberries have been used to obtain a purple dye. (E.O.L.)