Blackberry leaf shoots, raw, organic?

Blackberry leaves or blackberry leaf shoots ( Rubus sectio Rubus L., Rubus fruticosus agg.) is used to make tea or as a vegetable. Only raw when gently dried . Products with organic certification available.

Use in the kitchen

Can you eat blackberry leaves? Are blackberry leaves edible? Blackberry leaves can be eaten and used to make tea. In March and April, the small tips of the blackberry shoots (2 cm long) are harvested and eaten raw or steamed. ² Raw, they taste slightly of coconut. They go well in raw salads, dips and smoothies, as well as in wild herb pesto. They can also be lightly steamed and mixed with other vegetables. Young blackberry leaves taste slightly of apple. They can be steamed like spinach or processed into potato and herb soups together with nettle leaves. Before using, the leaves should be washed well and the prickly midrib removed.

Dried blackberry leaves are suitable for making tea. If you ferment the leaves, you can make a caffeine-free breakfast tea that is reminiscent of black tea. ² Blackberry leaves are used in folk medicine as a herbal medicine. Blackberry leaf tea can also be made from fresh leaves.

How do you dry blackberry leaves? Harvest undamaged leaves from unsprayed blackberry bushes. Rinse carefully under running water and pat dry with a clean cloth. Then lay out on a clean cotton cloth in a dark, well-ventilated place to dry for a week. Alternatively, you can dry the leaves in a dehydrator at less than 40 °C. This gentle drying process gives them raw food quality.

Other edible parts of the blackberry plant are the flowers and the sweet-aromatic aggregate fruits - the blackberries.

Vegan recipe for potato salad with blackberry leaves

Ingredients for 4 people: 1 kg potatoes (boiled, cooled), 30 g blackberry leaves (blackberry shoots), 200 ml vegetable stock, 1 onion, 1 tbsp mustard and pepper.

Preparation: Boil the potatoes and let them cool, then cut them into slices. Finely chop the blackberry leaves and put them in a large bowl with the potato slices. Peel and dice the onion. Bring the vegetable stock to the boil and add the onion. Let the stock simmer for 15 minutes and season with mustard and pepper. Pour the stock over the potatoes and stir carefully. Cover and let the potato salad simmer for a couple of hours. Stir carefully again and serve.

Making tea from blackberry leaves

For one cup of tea you need 2.5 teaspoons or 1.5 g (1 teaspoon = 0.6 g) of finely chopped and dried blackberry leaves. Instead of dried blackberry leaves you can use fresh or fermented leaves.

Pour 150 ml of boiling water over the leaves and let them steep for 10-15 minutes. The leaves are then strained and a cup is drunk several times a day between meals. ^3,4 Blackberry tea can be drunk safely as a home tea over a long period of time, as there are no known symptoms of overdose. ^1,9

A combination of the following ingredients is suitable as a breakfast tea or home tea: 10 g bitter orange peel, 15 g rose hips, 30 g blackberry leaves and 30 g raspberry leaves. ³

Vegan recipes with blackberry shoots (blackberry leaves) can be found under the note: " Recipes that have the most of this ingredient ".

Purchasing - Storage

At major retailers such as Coop, Migros, Denner, Volg, Spar, Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, Edeka, Hofer and Billa, loose blackberry leaves are not part of the standard range. Dried blackberry leaves in controlled organic quality are available in pharmacies, health food stores, drugstores, well-stocked organic supermarkets such as Denns or Alnatura or online.

The drug name for blackberry leaves is Rubi fruticosi folium (plural: folia Rubi fruticosi). Due to their standard approval, blackberry leaves are also available in filter bags as a single drug. ⁴ Blackberry leaves that are available as medicinal plants are mostly imported from Eastern and Southeastern European countries. ⁴

The traditional medicinal plant can be found in tea blends for various indication groups and standard approvals, e.g. in cold teas or stomach teas. Blackberry leaves are not only included in tea blends because of their pleasant taste, but also usually as an auxiliary agent to prevent the tea components from separating. ⁴

When to collect blackberry leaves? In the northern hemisphere, blackberry leaves are picked mainly between May and July (collection time, season). ³ Blackberry shoots are collected in March and April. ²

The availability of blackberry leaves varies depending on the size of the store, catchment area, etc. Our recorded food prices for the DA-CH countries can be found above under the ingredient image - and by clicking on them you can see their development at different suppliers.

Found in the wild

Where does the blackberry grow? Blackberry bushes can be found in sunny to partially shaded areas and on soils rich in lime and nitrogen. Popular locations are light forests, forest edges, forest clearings, hedges, rubble sites, heathland, railway embankments, gardens, parks, roadsides, bushes, wasteland and field copses - mostly in areas with relatively mild winters. ⁵ The plant, which is both winter-bare and evergreen, grows arched, ascending and creeping. The leaves, which have odd three-, five- and seven-fingered lobes, are toothed and arranged alternately. ^2,16

All blackberry species, whether wild or cultivated, are non-toxic, including their leaves. Blackberry bushes do not have a uniform flowering period. They bloom from May to winter. This means that one bush often has flowers, unripe and ripe fruits next to each other. ⁶ The flowers are white to pink and open in clusters. Later they bear 1-2 cm large blue-violet aggregate drupes - the blackberries. ^5,16

When do you collect blackberry leaves? Leaves for consumption as a vegetable, as well as for drying to make tea, are harvested from May to July. ³ After this, the leaves are too dry to be consumed as a vegetable, but are still suitable for making tea.

Storage tips

Dried blackberry leaves should be stored away from light and moisture. Suitable containers are well-sealable brown jars, metal cans or aroma-protection bags.

Ingredients - Nutritional values - Calories

Raw blackberry leaves (organic?) contain tannins (up to 14%), especially gallotannins and allagitannins, as well as flavonoids and fruit acids (citric acid). ² Other ingredients are isocitric acid and triterpenic acids. ⁴

According to the German Drug Codex ( DAC), the leaves must have a tannin content of at least 4% as pyrogallol. ⁴

The complete ingredients of blackberry shoots (blackberry leaves), the coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in our nutrient tables. In the article Nutrients explained you will get a detailed insight into the topic.

Health effects

How healthy are blackberry leaves? Blackberries are known for their valuable ingredients, but blackberry leaves also have a positive effect on health.

The traditional use of blackberry leaf tea as an aid against diarrhea is based on the high tannin content. ²⁰ In addition, when taken orally, tannins inhibit the secretion of the digestive organs, reduce the activity of the stomach and intestinal muscles and inactivate enzymes. As a result, tannins have a digestive and constipating effect, a desirable effect in diarrhea. ¹⁰ Studies show that blackberry leaf extracts are effective against Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that can cause stomach ulcers. ²²

Blackberry leaf tea acts as a mouthwash against mild inflammation thanks to the flavonoids and phenolic compounds it contains, which have antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory effects. ²⁰

Blackberry leaf extracts have an antioxidant effect. They minimize oxidative stress by eliminating cell-damaging free radicals. In doing so, they strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of cancer. ^20,21 Sinceraspberry leaves are more effective against certain free radicals (OH hydroxy group) than blackberry leaves, a mixture of blackberry and raspberry leaves is useful for preparing tea or extracts. ²¹

Secondary plant substances

The health effects of blackberry leaves are due to the secondary plant substances they contain. Our article on secondary plant substances provides an overview of the classification of the substance groups, their occurrence in foods and possible effects on humans.

Tannins have anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, weak local anesthetic, anti-secretory and antimicrobial properties. ¹⁰ Due to the molecular size of tannins, neither the skin nor the mucous membrane of the small intestine can absorb tannins. Together with the protein molecules of the upper layers of skin and mucous membrane, tannins form complexes, a type of membrane that is perceived as astringent or contracting. ¹⁰ This protective and sealing layer prevents further penetration of bacteria or excessive watering of the injured or inflamed (mucous) skin. ⁹

In numerous observational studies, flavonoids have shown health-promoting effects, e.g. against cancer - also because flavonoids are strong antioxidants. It has been proven that a diet rich in flavonoids protects against cardiovascular diseases. In addition, flavonoids stimulate the immune system, inhibit blood clotting, weaken inflammatory reactions and presumably stimulate cognitive abilities. ⁸

However, it should be noted that the composition of secondary plant substances in blackberry leaves can vary depending on the variety, time of harvest and growing conditions. Therefore, quantities are only of limited use and should only be understood roughly.

Dangers - Intolerances - Side effects

Leaf shoots close to the ground can contain dirt or parasites. Infection, e.g. with the eggs of the fox tapeworm ( Echinococcus multilocularis), is rare but still possible. Serious liver damage can occur. Not only foxes, but also dogs and cats can be carriers. When collecting blackberry shoots from the wild, it is important to wash them before eating. ¹¹

There are currently no known side effects or overdose effects for blackberry leaf tea. There is no scientific evidence yet regarding its use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. ⁹

Folk medicine - naturopathy

The main active ingredient in the above-mentioned indications is tannins according to Commission E. ⁴ The drug name for blackberry leaves is Rubi fruticosi folium, syn. Folia Rubi fruticosi ¹⁷ The Committee for Herbal Medicinal Products ( HMPC) and the umbrella organisation of European national phytotherapy societies ( ESCOP) have not yet published any monographs on blackberry leaves. ^4,18 It is therefore not a recognised medicinal plant.

What is blackberry leaf tea good for? The German Pharmacist's Journal describes the treatment with tannin solutions for inflammation of the gastric mucosa, which is accompanied by hyperacidity in the stomach. Tannin solutions can be used externally for skin inflammation and hemorrhoids. ¹⁰ Since ancient times, the blackberry bush has been a well-known and popular medicinal plant, for example for diarrhea or heavy menstrual bleeding ( Dioscorides, 1st century AD). ³ The ancient Greeks administered blackberries for gout, and the Romans used the plant to treat sore spots in the mouth and for intestinal inflammation. ¹² Today, blackberry leaves are used in traditional medicine internally for dysentery and cystitis, and externally for hemorrhoids. ¹² When taken internally, a tea made from blackberry leaves is said to have a calming effect. ²

How do you use blackberry leaf tea for diarrhea? Blackberry leaves are recognized as being used medically for non-specific, acute diarrhea (tea for drinking). ^4.9 According to the package insert for medicinal blackberry leaf tea, you should seek medical advice if diarrhea does not improve after two days. If you have bloody diarrhea or diarrhea accompanied by a rise in temperature, you should always see a doctor. ⁹ If you have diarrhea, you should ensure that you are getting enough fluids and salts (electrolytes). ⁹ Well-known and proven tea blends for diarrhea consist of one third each of blackberry leaves, lady's mantle and agrimony. ³ The single dose for adolescents aged 12 and over and adults is (according to the package insert for medicinal blackberry leaves) 1.5 g/150 ml of tea for internal consumption. The tea is drunk three times a day before or after meals. ⁹

Does blackberry leaf tea help with inflammation? Blackberry tea is also used for mild inflammation in the mouth and throat area (tea for rinsing and gargling). ^4,9 A similar procedure is used to make a tea infusion for rinsing or gargling the mouth and throat. The preparation can be used several times a day, morning, noon and evening. ⁹

Ecological footprint - animal welfare

Blackberry leaves are obtained from blackberry bushes that are grown for the production of blackberries. Blackberries are therefore a by-product. ²⁰ Therefore, to our knowledge, there are no studies on the _carbon footprint or water footprint specifically for blackberry leaves, only for blackberries.

For detailed explanations of various sustainability indicators (such as ecological footprint, _CO2 footprint, water footprint), see our article: What does the ecological footprint mean?

Animal protection - species protection

The blackberry blooms from May to August and provides food for bees. The blackberry's nectar and pollen values are high. ⁵

The blackberry is ecologically valuable and an important source of food for many insects. ⁵ The abundance of insects, including bees and butterflies, makes blackberry bushes interesting for birds. In addition, densely growing plants offer protection to birds and other small animals. ¹⁵

Worldwide occurrence - cultivation

The exact origin of the blackberry is unknown. Wild forms are found in Eurasia and North America. Today, the blackberry is widespread in temperate zones worldwide, including the southern hemisphere. The climbing or upright bushes often have thorns. Varieties without thorns are usually used for commercial cultivation or in the garden.

In 2005, Europe, the United States and Mexico were the main producers of blackberries. They are also grown in Asia, South America, Oceania and Africa, but in smaller quantities. ¹ Wild blackberries are also available.

Cultivation - Harvest

In the garden, blackberries should be grown in a sheltered location without waterlogging. Tall blackberries need a distance of two meters and climbing varieties need a distance of four meters. Climbing supports (espaliers) ensure that the plants grow in light and well-ventilated areas. ¹³ Garden centers offer thornless varieties with large fruits that can be used in hobby gardening or in commercial fruit growing. ⁵

When and how do I prune blackberries? Blackberries only bear fruit on two-year-old wood. Old shoots must be cut off regularly, e.g. in the autumn after the harvest. Young shoots can be cut back in the spring when they are about 2.5 metres long to encourage the formation of side shoots. ^14,19

Possible confusion

Blackberry leaves can be confused with raspberry leaves. Raspberry leaves have very felty hairs on the underside of the leaf. The midvein of blackberry leaves has fine whitish spines. The spines are more clearly visible on thicker leaf stalks. The blackberry leaf is green on the upper side and usually only slightly hairy on the underside. ⁴

There is no real danger of confusion with the also edible raspberry leaves. However, confusion with other edible blackberry species is possible.

Further information

The genus Rubus belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae). Within this genus, the section Rubus sectio Rubus, the blackberries, is known. This is a collective species that includes several thousand small species, varieties and hybrids. The collective name is Rubus fruticosus agg. and sometimes Rubus fruticosus L. ^6,19 It is difficult to distinguish between the individual small species and varieties. Well-known small species are: Armenian blackberry (garden blackberry, Rubus armeniacus Focke), dewberry (Rubus caesius) and hazel leaf blackberry ( Rubus corylifolius agg.). ⁷

The genus Rubus includes raspberries ( R. idaeus), cloudberries ( R. chamaemorus) and arctic raspberries ( R. arcticus).

Alternative names

In English, blackberry leaves are called Blackberry leaves or Bramble leaves.