The Wild Black Raspberry
Shhh! Don’t tell. The wild black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) and the wild red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) are ripening right now – if you know where to look. Both berries are sweet and flavorful, but the wild black raspberry is my favorite. The canes are whitened with a bloom and are often long and arching. This species grows in rich moist thickets, ravines, and the borders of woods. I found these growing in a mixed tangle of waist-high weeds in a field that been deeply rutted by heavy logging equipment. Seeking out berries like these is not for the casual stroller. I wore high rubber boys and a flannel shirt to protect my arms from scratches. Other brambles growing nearby were the wild blackberry, which is not yet in season. The thimble-shaped berries of the wild blackberry are still green and forming. I picked enough to put on cereal and to bake a pie.
