Rubus chamaemorus - Cloudberry

Family:	Rosaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.3
Width:	1
Synonyms:
Range:	Northern Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Germany and N. Asia.

Rubus chamaemorus (Cloudberry) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.3m and a width of 1m . It has a hardness rating of 2.
Cloudberry will flower in December to February. the seeds ripen from January to March
The flowers from this plant are dioecious (each plant is either male or female, thus both genders need to be present to seed) and they are pollinated by Bees, flies

Soil Information

Cloudberry will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
Cloudberry prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Cloudberry should not be planted in shady areas.

Cool boggy places, often found amongst bilberries on hills and mountain sides, avoiding shade and calcareous soils.

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Grows on a sunny edge
• Can be planted in Cultivated Beds
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[1, 11, 200]. Avoids calcareous soils in the wild and is often found in boggy soils[17]. Considered to be a gourmet fruit, it is occasionally sold in speciality stores[183]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 4/5
Fruit - raw or cooked[183, 257]. Sour but delicious, the fruit can be eaten out of hand or stewed, used in preserves, pies etc[183]. Rich in vitamin C[257]. The sweet fruit tastes like baked apples[207]. Flowers - raw. The fresh or dried leaves are used as a tea substitute.

• Flowers -
• Fruit -
• Tea - the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
A decoction of the roots has been used as 'woman's medicine'[257]. A decoction of the root and lower stem has been used by barren women to try and become pregnant[257]. The root has been used in the treatment of coughs, fevers and consumption[257].

• Febrifuge - Reduces fevers.
• Infertility - Used in treating problems of human fertility.
• TB - Plants used in the treatment of tuberculosis

Propagation

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[200]. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[200].

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[168].

• Dye - Plants that provide dyes.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
Bean. W.
Author: Bean. W.
Rating:
Publisher : A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
Date of Publication : 1981

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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