Wild Wednesday - Blackberry
The bramble or, as many of us know it, 'blackberry', is a thorny, fruiting shrub of the rose family, famous for its dark berries, which are ready in the Autumn and eaten by people and animals alike.
It grows up to 3 metres in height and can be seen all year round in a variety of habitats in the UK, including woodlands, hedgerows, gardens, scrubland, cliffs, roadside verges and waste ground.
Its dense bushes provide valuable protection for nesting birds and good habitat for a range of other small animals. This plant is an important source of nectar for brimstone and speckled wood butterflies, song thrushes and yellowhammers like the fruit and it provides hiding places for hedgehogs and dormice.
The bramble has jagged-edged leaves with 5 to 7 oval leaves and its thick stems are protected by sharp thorns. Its flowers can be white or pink, appearing between May and September, then turning first to green, then red, then finally into juicy blackberries.
Gathering the wild berries can be a fun and satisfying experience and gives us a chance to learn about our native plants. If you do fancy giving it a go, remember that it is an offence to uproot a wild plant and only take berries that you need - leave some for the wild creatures.
Note: don't eat anything you can't identify - it could make you very ill!
Read more here: Blackberry - Wikipedia