Wild black raspberries. Bruce Ingram
Over the years, my wife Elaine has turned into pies and cobblers many of the wild fruits and berries we’ve gathered. But none of these desserts have been as sublimely delicious as ones made from Rubus occidentalis. Of the four Rubus species in these mountains, the raspberry is the first to ripen, sometimes as early as mid-June. The blue canes are diagnostic; the three leaflets also help with identification.
Like other members of the Rubus family (which includes blackberries, dewberries, and wineberries) the raspberry grows best in sunny thickets where the ground has been recently disturbed. A good raspberry patch will last four or five years until tree saplings eventually crowd out the plants by robbing them of sunlight. However, we cherish raspberries so much that we will often extend the lives of berry patches by removing the woody growth.
Wildlife from songbirds to bears will proverbially thank you for doing the same, as raspberries provide crucial summertime food as well as nesting cover for turkeys and grouse as well as many songbirds. The thickets further provide escape cover for small mammals and birds.
So grab a berry bucket and head for the nearest raspberry copse this month and enjoy this sweet treat.
Bruce and Elaine Ingram will profile a different wild edible every month. For more information on their book Living the Locavore Lifestyle, contact them at bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com
