Chapter 4.32

4.32 Raspberry

Meghan Cobbe, University of Guelph, Canada

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Cobbe,M. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/

Description

Rubus parviflorus, commonly known as thimbleberry, is part of the rosaceae, or rose family of plants (Gucker, 2012). Thimbleberries are a deciduous shrub that have large white flowers that form in clusters and the stems do not contain thorns or prickles (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). The leaves are large, have five points with ridges all the way around and are fuzzy on both sides (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Thimbleberry bushes can grow up to 8 feet tall and new shoots can produce fruit after two to three years (Grant, 2020). The fruit that these bushes produce are red, cup shaped berries that look similar to raspberries (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Thimbleberries are more fragile than raspberries and they are also sweet and flavourful, but the taste depends on where they grow and how ripe they are (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991).

Consumption

Thimbleberries are harvested in the middle of summer and are often eaten fresh, just as they are (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Thimbleberries have also been used to make jams as a way of preserving them for later use (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Other parts of the plant have also been utilized by the Indigenous communities. People will boil thimbleberry leaves to make a tea to treat anemia, or they would chew on dried thimbleberry leaves to help with stomach aches or diarrhea (Gucker, 2012). Indigenous groups such as the Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Nuxalk often collected newly emerged sprouts from thimbleberry plants, peeled them and consumed them as a spring green vegetable with fish or other meat (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991) (Oleskevich, et al., 1996).

Toxicology

There are no known toxic or hallucinogenic effects of a typical black currant on humans alike though research needs to be done to determine if dried leaves are good to consume (Stuart). This fruit is safe to ingest in many forms (Stuart). There are also no known effects on animals as wild mammals consume them regularly (Marshall, 1995).

Geography

Thimbleberries naturally grow in a number of countries, but within Canada they were often found throughout Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario (Gucker, 2012). Thimbleberry bushes are commonly found around the Great Lakes and other lakeshore areas, and there are other types of thimbleberries that grow in different forests throughout the Americas (Gucker, 2012). Thimbleberry bushes grow in thickets, and they like more open forests and clearings (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Thimbleberries rank as a zone 3 for plant hardiness in Canada (Hebda, 2017).

They will tolerate moderate shade, but they do prefer full sun (Hanson, 2001). In British Columbia, it has been found that thimbleberry bushes are often one of the first plants to regrow after areas are clear cut or burned (Oleskevich, et al., 1996). Thimbleberries are not picky when it comes to soil conditions, they can grow well in a wide range of soil temperatures, and they will tolerate a range in pH of the soil (Hanson, 2001). They can grow in dry to moist soils, however they thrive in soils that are more wet than dry (Hanson, 2001). Thimbleberries prefer deep soil that is well drained and is composed of loam or clay-loam with a high nitrogen content (Hanson, 2001).

Nutrition

Thimbleberries are highly nutritious and contain a number of vitamins and minerals (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Both thimbleberry sprouts and berries are high in vitamin C (Gucker, 2012). For 100 grams of thimbleberry shoots, they approximately contain 24mg of calcium, 26mg of phosphorus, 29mg of magnesium and 0.29mg of niacin (Kuhnlein, 1990).

Indigenous Peoples Use

The thimbleberry bush has many components and Indigenous communities have found a number of ways to utilize almost every part of the plant. Indigenous people in Canada have been gathering thimbleberries for hundreds of years (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). This fruit has been a favourite to pick in the Indigenous communities across British Columbia (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Thimbleberries were often mixed with other berries that were gathered, some people would dry them in cakes, or store them in ooligan grease as a way to preserve them (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). The Nuu-chah-nulth people of Vancouver Island would sometimes boil thimbleberry leaves with fish as a way to add flavour (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Gitksan children would often make cones out of the thimbleberry leaves to use as a container to hold the berries (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). They would crush the berries in the leaves and suck the mashed berries out the tip of the cone (Kuhnlein and Turner, 1991). Some Indigenous groups, including the Cowlitz of Washington State, would boil the bark of thimbleberry bushes to make soap (Hebda, 2017). Over the years, Indigenous peoples have greatly utilized the thimbleberry bush and it is amazing how many uses one singular plant can have.

References

1. Grant, B. (2020). Thimbleberry plant info – are thimbleberries edible. DiverseGarden. Retrieved from https://www.diversegarden.com/ornamental/shrubs/thimbleberry/thimbleberry-plant-info.htm.

2. Gucker, C. (2012). Rubus parviflorus. Fire Effects Information System. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer).

3. Hanson, E. (2001). Unusual fruit plants for gardens in the North Central Region (E2747). MSU Extension. Retrieved from https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/unusual_fruit_plants_for_gardens_in_the_north_central_region_e2747.

4. Hebda, R. (2017). Thimbleberry. Royal BC Museum. Retrieved from https://staff.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/2017/01/31/thimbleberry/.

5. Kuhnlein, H. V. (1990). Nutrient values in indigenous wild plant greens and roots used by the nuxalk people of Bella Coola, British Columbia. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 3(1), 38–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/0889-1575(90)90007-9

6. Kuhnlein, H. V., & Turner, N. J. (1991). Traditional Plant Foods of Canadian Indigenous Peoples: Nutrition, botany and use. Gordon and Breach.

7. Oleskevich, C., Punja, Z. K., & Shamoun, S. F. (1996). The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 105. Rubus strigosus michx., Rubus parviflorus nutt., and Rubus spectabilis pursh. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 76(1), 187–201. https://doi.org/10.4141/cjps96-037