Bramble in the United Kingdom is any rough, (usually wild) tangled prickly shrub, specifically the blackberry bush (Rubus fruticosa), or any hybrid of similar appearance, with thorny stems. It may also refer to the blackberry fruit or products of its fruit (e.g. bramble jelly).
The shrub grows abundantly in all parts of Great Britain, and harvesting the fruits in late summer and autumn is a favourite pastime. It can also become a nuisance in gardens, sending down its strong suckering roots amongst hedges and shrubs. In the United States (and elsewhere?) the term "bramble" also refers to other members of the Rubus genus, which may or may not have prickly stems - notably the raspberry (Rubus idaeus) or its hybrids. The word comes from Germanic *bram-bezi, whence also German Brombeere, Dutch Braam and French framboise.
Bramble bushes have a distinctive growth form. They send up long, arching canes that do not flower or set fruit until the second year of growth. Brambles usually have trifoliate or palmately-compound leaves.
Bramble fruits are aggregate fruits. Each small unit is called a drupelet. In some, such as blackberry, the flower receptacle is elongate and part of the ripe fruit, making the blackberry an aggregate-accessory fruit.
The shrub grows abundantly in all parts of Great Britain, and harvesting the fruits in late summer and autumn is a favourite pastime. It can also become a nuisance in gardens, sending down its strong suckering roots amongst hedges and shrubs. In the United States (and elsewhere?) the term "bramble" also refers to other members of the Rubus genus, which may or may not have prickly stems - notably the raspberry (Rubus idaeus) or its hybrids. The word comes from Germanic *bram-bezi, whence also German Brombeere, Dutch Braam and French framboise.
Bramble bushes have a distinctive growth form. They send up long, arching canes that do not flower or set fruit until the second year of growth. Brambles usually have trifoliate or palmately-compound leaves.
Bramble fruits are aggregate fruits. Each small unit is called a drupelet. In some, such as blackberry, the flower receptacle is elongate and part of the ripe fruit, making the blackberry an aggregate-accessory fruit.
