COLUMNIST: SCOTT GALLOWAY
Across the country it thrives in rich, acidic soil and produces thorny, arching stems which can reach up to 2.5m across and root incredibly easily where the tips touch the soil.
Some might consider brambles a persistent, problem weed but they are in fact a key part of local folk culture, both historical and modern. Although it is less commonly found in the northern regions of Scotland, there are some fascinating, distinct ethnobotanical uses and names for the plant across Scotland.
From the west of Scotland where it is colloquially referred to as boyds, to the south-west, in Kirkudbright, where it is known as black bides, to the borders where the locals of Berwick refer to the fruit as black-bowours and Bummle-kittes and the shrub as Brumleyberry bush, there is a rich and diverse folk vernacular. Even in neighbouring Roxburghshire the shrub is known distinctly as the Gatter-tree, with the fruit being referred to as Gatter-berries, Lady garten-berries, and Lady’s garters.
The blackberry has a feminine gender, is ruled by Venus, and associated with water. It has healing and protective properties that have been used historically to treat scalds, boils, and rheumatism.
In the treatment of scalds, blackberry leaves were used to channel the healing power of the ancient Celtic Goddess, Brigit. The tale goes that 9 blackberry leaves, dipped in fresh spring water, should be applied to the wound while repeating the following chant three times to each leaf as it is pressed gently onto the skin:
“Three ladies came from the east,
One with fire and two with frost.
Out with fire, in with frost.”
It was considered sacred to the old Pagan deities of Scotland and Ireland and has even been used in magic to improve wealth. A shrub is considered especially magical if it forms a natural arch that on a sunny day should be crawled under backwards then forwards three times to treat ailments of the body.
As much as the fruit is the focus of the foraged bramble, all aerial parts of the plant are in fact edible, with spring being the best time to harvest the young shoots and leaves.
If left to nature, the fresh new growth is eaten by caterpillars, deer, and other grazing mammals but if you know what to do with it, the bramble can be a versatile plant to use from spring right through to autumn. The young stems can be picked, steamed and used as a vegetable, while the leaves can be used in a tea infusion to relieve chesty coughs and clear the respiratory system.
As a member of the rose family, the bramble produces attractive, small white-pink flowers throughout summer from May to September before developing edible black fruits that can be harvested in late summer and autumn. Blackberries are the most widely foraged wild fruits in Britain and have a rich and deep folklore attached to them.
Blackberries are used extensively in cooking, with a blackberry pie commonly prepared on Lughnasadh (August 2nd) to commemorate the season’s harvest.
I would like though, to share an old recipe, prepared for its medicinal use, to treat coughs and colds in autumn and winter. Blackberry vinegar is a sweet, warming, healing remedy to reduce respiratory conditions, particularly in the darker months. Traditionally, it was prepared with malt vinegar, said to make some children sick depending on the amount of sugar added to the mixture, but today we can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.
The following recipe is one I use each summer and store throughout the autumn and winter in a cool, dark cupboard:
450g blackberries, washed
600ml of apple cider vinegar
300g caster sugar
Soak the blackberries in the vinegar for 2-5 days, depending on how fruity you would like the mixture to be, in a bowl covered with a plate, or in a pot with a lid. Press the fruit gently to release their flavour and stir every day.
Remove the lid, stir, and sieve the liquid into a saucepan, pressing the fruit to release as much liquid as possible. Add the sugar, stir, and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes until thick. Pour into sterilised bottles and store.
As the bramble bushes come into leaf for a new season, I hope they provide you with an abundant harvest of leaves, stems, and fruit and that you are able to harness its rich, healing potential. If you are foraging in the city be careful in areas where the soil might be contaminated or there are high levels of pollution, and in the country be mindful of chemical sprays used by farmers.
Scott Galloway is a Glasgow based horticulturist and plantsman specialising in kitchen garden herbs, and the cross-cultural relationships people have with plants. Working with the National Trust for Scotland, he created a Scottish naturalised herb garden at Greenbank Garden, and is an RHS Plant Profile Writer.
Scott is building a National Collection of bergenia in conjunction with Plant Heritage and hopes to be an authoritative voice on the genus. Follow Scott on Instagram for more chat and watch his bergenia collection grow on @thebergenlist!