Blackberry

Dris
Latin name: Rubus fruticosus

The blackberry bush is very common in Ireland. Its long stems reach over walls and climb along hedges. It has prickly thorns that take root where they touch the ground. It’s no wonder there are so many blackberry bushes in Ireland!

Delicate white-pink flowers of the blackberry bush

The flowers of the blackberry are white-pink. They grow from June to September. Bees love the sweet smell of the flowers. Honey from bees that have eaten from blackberry flowers make a darker colour honey. It also has a fruity taste.

The leaves of the blackberry bush are oval. They have very jagged edges.

Blackberries beginning to ripen

Carsten Krieger

Blackberries beginning to ripen
Carsten Krieger

Blackberries beginning to ripen

Carsten Krieger

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Have you ever picked blackberries in the autumn?

Blackberries first grow in early summer. They are small, hard  and green. Later in the summer they turn red. By autumn, they are a deep purple-black colour. The bush becomes covered with blackberries in the autumn.

The sweet blackberry treats at the end of the summer are worth the wait!

Have you ever mixed blackberry and apple to make a fruit crumble? Eaten with ice-cream, it’s one of the nicest summer desserts you could have.

Why not ask an adult to help you make it?