Blackberries are sweet darkly colored fruits that grow on bushy vines in small clusters known as drupelets. In Britain, the same plant is usually called bramble, because of its prickly thorns. Blackberry brambles can become quite invasive if left to their own devices. Many earth based and Wiccan religions claim that blackberry leaves can help return evil to enemies that sent it, and may also help remove evil spirits from your home. Superstition in the United Kingdom holds that blackberries should not be picked after Michaelmass (September 29th) as the devil has claimed them, having left a mark on the leaves by urinating on them. There is some value behind this legend as after this date wetter and cooler weather often allows the fruit to become infected by various molds such as Botryotinia which give the fruit an unpleasant look and possible toxicity.

TEAS

Blackberry leaf is an ingredient in our Water Detox Tea.

COMMON NAME

Standardized: blackberry
Other: bramble, shrubby blackberry

BOTANICAL NAME

Rubus fruticosus L. ex Dierb. Plant Family: Rosaceae

TYPICAL PREPARATIONS

Washes, compresses, and baths. Can be taken internally as a tea, capsule or extract. Leaf is slightly sweet and may be sprinkled on food.

PRECAUTIONS

Specific: No known precautions.

General: This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This tea is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.