Edible Blackberries
Come spring, blackberries are a common treat that can be found among disturbed areas in Florida. Not overly welcome in landscaped yards, you will have to take a trip to your nearest nature park or wetland area to enjoy this great springtime treat!
Southern Dewberry
Rubus trivialis
Prostrate, trailing vine.
Part to eat: Berries
When to gather: Spring
Where to gather: Disturbed areas among sandhills and woods or along pond edges throughout Florida.
Fresh wild blackberries are a decadent treat in spring. While some may be sweet and others slightly sour, nothing is quite like a plump juicy blackberry right off the vine. Acquiring fresh wild blackberries can take a little work, especially depending on the specie that you are harvesting. With three species common in Florida, all have thorns on theirs leaves and stems and tend to grow in thickets. Donning a pair jeans or khakis, longs sleeves, and gloves may be necessary to reach the berries while avoiding getting pricked.
All varieties have five-petaled white flowers that will turn into juicy berries.
While the sand blackberry prefers sandy places and the highbush blackberry prefers moist areas (mostly in Northern Florida), both have an upright growth habit. This is in contrast to the southern dewberry that has prostrate, trailing vines and grows throughout Florida. All three varieties will prefer decent rainfall in order to produce plump, juicy berries. All varieties produce berries that grow on second year canes (vines/stems).
Eat them fresh, turn them into jams, top your parfaits with them, make them into pies, and so much more. The options are endless when it comes to ways to prepare wild blackberries. Make sure you leave some for the birds, as many species depend on the fruit for their continued survival. Native bumblebees also find the plant material of blackberries valuable for making homes.
