Everything about Thimbleberry totally explained
Rubus parviflorus (
Thimbleberry) is a species of
Rubus, native to western and northern
North America, from
Alaska east to
Ontario and
Minnesota, and south to northern
Mexico. It grows from sea level in the north, up to 2,500 m altitude in the south of the range. The plant is said to have given its name to the
Thimble Islands in
Connecticut, although it's very rarely seen in that region.
It is a dense
shrub up to 2.5 m tall with canes 3-15 mm diameter, often growing in large clumps which spread through the plant's underground
rhizome. Unlike most other members of the genus, it has no
thorns. The
leaves are
palmate, 5-20 cm across, with five lobes; they're soft and fuzzy in texture. The flowers are 2-6 cm diameter, with five white petals and numerous pale yellow stamens. It produces a tart edible composite
fruit 10-15 mm diameter, which ripen to a bright red in mid to late summer. Like other
raspberries it isn't a true
berry, but instead an aggregate fruit of numerous
drupelets around a central core; the drupelets may be carefully removed separately from the core when picked, leaving a hollow fruit which bears a resemblance to a
thimble, giving the plant its name.
The species typically grows along roadsides, railroad tracks, and in forest clearings, commonly appearing as an early part of the
ecological succession in
clear cut and
forest fire areas.
Uses
Thimbleberry fruits are larger, flatter, and softer than
raspberries, and have many small seeds. Because the fruit is so soft, it doesn't pack or ship well, so thimbleberries are rarely cultivated commercially. However, wild thimbleberries make an excellent
jam which is sold as a local delicacy in some parts of their range, notably in the
Keweenaw Peninsula of
Upper Michigan. Thimbleberry jam is easily made by combining equal volumes of berries and sugar and boiling the mixture for two minutes before packing it into jars.
Thimbleberry plants can be propagated most successfully by planting dormant rhizome segments, as well as from seeds or stem cuttings.
In a pinch, the leaves of the thimbleberry are recognized as a handy "toilet paper". They are large, soft and non-irritating.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Thimbleberry'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://thimbleberry.totallyexplained.com">Thimbleberry Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
