Blackberry

While, red raspberry (Rubus idacus or R. strigosus) is widely used in herbal medicine, its close relative, blackberry (R. fruticosus or R. villosus) is less known. Of course, blackberries are widely used and have great health benefits, but the leaves and roots, which have been traditionally used as medicine, are often overlooked.

Blackberry Fruits Health Benefits

In recent years I developed some venous congestion, especially in my legs, giving rise to a few varicose veins and soreness in my legs when I have to stand or walk long distances. Several things have helped reduce the venous congestion and soreness, but the two most helpful remedies have been wearing bamboo fiber compression socks and making berry smoothies with blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Just half a cup of berries each day has proved very beneficial for my venous circulation.

Like blueberries, blackberries contain a lot of polyphenols, including anthocyanin, a pigment that gives them their black (actually dark purplish-blue) color. Anthocyanins are antioxidants that reduce inflammation and aid circulation. They also help to protect your brain and blood vessels to reduce the risk of heart disease and dementia. And, blackberries, like blueberries, are also helpful for your eyes.

Medicinal Uses for Blackberry

Blackberry roots and leaves are astringents that help to tone up relaxed conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. Blackberry root is one of the better astringents for arresting watery diarrhea. I once had a client who suffered from inflammatory bowel disease with frequent diarrhea. I gave her a formula for soothing the GI tract that contained slippery elm, marshmallow, chamomile, and plantain, which helped somewhat, but she was still experiencing loose stools. When I added a small amount of blackberry root tincture to her program the problem completely cleared up.

Both the root and the leaves have a long history of use as a tonic for the GI tract. They can tone up leaky gut, help with diarrhea and diverticulosis, and halt bleeding from inflammatory bowel disorders, ulcers, and hemorrhoids. The leaves are milder acting than the root and are typically used as a tea, like raspberry leaf tea. The root is typically used as a tincture.

Blackberry leaves can be crushed and applied topically as a first-aid remedy for wounds, insect bites, and other injuries. You can also use the root tincture as a compress.

Blackberry Signatures

If you’ve ever seen a blackberry bramble, it looks chaotic. The plant can form thick hedges, which I've seen first-hand. When I lived on a half-acre at the edge of town in Springville, Utah the western side of the property had a huge hedge of thorny blackberry bushes. It was an impenetrable wall of plant material. Plus, blackberry spreads via its roots, so it continues to expand outward unless it is kept contained by digging up the new plants that pop up.

Because of the way they grow, blackberries have historically been associated with prosperity and abundance. They readily spread out and produce dark, juicy fruits. They are also associated with protection and healthy boundaries due to the way they form thorny, dense thickets.

Blackberry as a Flower Remedy

This brings us to the energetic use of blackberry as a plant for emotional healing. The person who needs blackberry flower essence is full of ideas but lacks the will and action necessary to bring their ideas into reality. Their energy is all in their head and goes in too many different directions.

Blackberry flower essence helps such a person to create specific goals and take action on them. It redirects the energy flow into the arms and legs so that the person can act on their ideas instead of just thinking about them. Think of the blackberry canes that spread out as the plant's arms and the roots as the plant's legs and you can see how blackberry is all about moving forward. So, if you have a problem setting goals and acting on them blackberry flower essence may be helpful for you.

Using Blackberry

The best time to dig blackberry roots up is in the fall, while the leaves can be picked at any time during the summer. You can dry the leaves and use them to make tea in a similar manner to raspberry leaves. The root can be made into a decoction, tincture, or glycerite. Use a larger dose (about ½ teaspoon) for diarrhea and smaller (5-10 drop) doses for toning up a weak digestive tract. The plant is completely nontoxic so you don’t have to worry about any contraindications. And, since the plant spreads like a weed there’s no problem with overharvesting it. This is useful because with the large percentage of people in our society who have digestive problems like leaky gut, I think we need to make better use of this widespread plant as an herbal medicine.