THIMBLEBERRY

THIMBLEBERRY SHRUB...

...MAPLE-LIKE LEAF...

...LARGE, SCENTED FLOWER...

...EDIBLE BERRY (UW Green Bay Herbarium photo))

Friday, 7:45 AM.  58 degrees F at the ferry dock and on the back porch.  Wind variable and calm.  The sky is partly cloudy with some overcast and haze.  The humidity is 92% and the barometer is falling, now at 29.58".  Tomorrow is predicted to be warmer and sunny, with unsettled weather for the following week.

   Thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus, in the Rose Family, is closely related to the raspberries and blackberries.  The species has an odd geographical distribution: around the Great Lakes and in  the western United States, Alaska and Canada and south to northern South America.  

   Thimbleberry is so called since when the ripe composit fruit is pulled from the stem it is hollow, resembling a sewing thimble.  The shrub is large, spreads by stolons and grows in part shade to full sun in woods and on woods edges and along roads and railways.  The leaves are lobed and look like sugar maple leaves.  The stems have no spines or prickles, unusual for a Rubus species.

   The species name translates from the Latin as "small flowered," but the flowers are relatively large.  I suspect this misnomer relates to the fact that the shrubs are few flowered. The flowers are pleasantly lemon-scented. The fruit is edible and makes good jams and jellies but is soft and does not pack and ship well commercially.  Some folks do not like the taste of the fruit, but I think it fine. 

   Thimbleberry is a valuable plant for native landscape restoration and can be obtained from specialty nurseries.