Four Blackberries

Day 300: There are three different types of blackberry native to Washington state. The best known is the Himalayan blackberry (Rubus discolor), also known colloquially as the "kudzu of the north." It forms 15-20 foot high mounds, often completely taking over vacant lots and small buildings. It bears an end-of-thumb sized berry which is very juicy and flavorful.

Next in line is the Evergreen blackberry (Rubus laciniatus), similar to the Himalayan although it doesn't grow as rampantly. Its leaves are deeply incised and lacy, as its scientific name suggests. The berries are more strongly flavored and of the two, I prefer Evergreen for jam and jelly.

Then comes the tastiest of the three, Trailing blackberry ((Rubus ursinus), shown here. This is a ground cover, with tough little vines strong enough to trip a full-grown man walking through them. Its berries are coveted for pies, but nowadays it grows sparingly and one can seldom gather enough to fill a 9" tin.

Mother Nature gifted me with a few handsful of Trailing blackberries today as I walked along one of my favorite logging roads. They look huge, thanks to macro photography and my small hand. Their taste is every bit as large as they seem!