Rubus yummii

Every year I look forward to early summer. Why? It is all about the blackberries!

And this is the reason! Big wonderful juicy flavorful blackberries! Some people call them dewberries. However the flora says dewberry species trail on the ground instead of being more erect like I find them in North Texas. Also they are known to hybridize. Our berries, pretty much fit the description for Rubus oklahomus, but it would be safe to call them Rubus yummii LOL!

Same place minus the black ones. The biggest one went down my hatch. The others went into my bucket.

Some are left behind. Especially if they are deep in the thicket. Only fair so that other critters can eat them too. In Gracie’s younger years, she learned how to eat them right off the bush. Birds and foxes are among the wild critters that will eat them.

In a botanical sense, the berry is not a berry. It is composed of druplets. Each druplet has one seed.

“The seeds contain oil rich in omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) and omega-6 (linoleic acid) fats as well as protein, dietary fiber, carotenoids, ellagitannins, and ellagic acid.” (Wikipedia).

These arm protectors are great protection from the thorns. Wished I had known about them years ago!

Among our blackberries, an American Beautyberry has taken root.

Here is a Two-lined Spittlebug. I have noticed quite a few of them this year.

Maybe Encyrtidae (Encyrtid Wasps) eggs on the underside of a blackberry leaf!

Keep looking!

The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know.

12 Comments

  1. But your title says Rhus not Rubus. So did you have Fragrant Sumac on your mind? the other sumacs won’t ripen until fall.
    *I must say, your blackberries make me drool!!!
    When Rider was young he figured out how to get a berry off also. Our dogs are/were so smart.
    Are your arm protectors made of thick long socks with holes at the end for fingers?
    Rose gloves (arm length) work too but I find it hard to cut out the fingers after paying that kind of money they cost.
    Next time we are up in a dormant season I will have to see about getting a cane sample from you again. Now that we live here we can take care of it and keep it going. Those berries are great flavor. I agree, blackberry not dewberry, due to cane versus trailing habit.

    1. Yep as soon as I hit the publish button I realized my mistake πŸ˜‚ you were quick to catch too😎

      1. I was closely watching email having conversation with our architect when your email came up. And I thought Rhus are yummy?
        In our orchard we are getting our domestic blackberries, blueberries and apricots plus zucchini, cabbage, snap peas, beets and watching cantaloupes, cucumbers, eggplant, okra and green beans grow. Peaches are still a ways off from ripening.

  2. Well the sumac has yummy berries for lemonade and sumac spice but that will be a fall post. πŸ˜‚
    Sounds like your garden is getting some good produce. I am waiting for tomatoes. Very small garden.

  3. I bet coyotes eat blackberries. Especially since they eat the fruit from prickly pears. Yummii is right!

  4. I was just grazing on blackberries this past weekend – yummmmm. I had not heard that blackberries grow on upright canes vs. dewberries trailing along the ground. Good to know.

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