The nutritional benefits of the wild blackberry and the wild blackberry plant were recognized by the American Indians. They used the berries, leaves and roots.  The berries were eaten raw, crushed and mixed with water or dried. The leaves and roots were used in medicinal teas. The blackberry root was especially important as it was used to combat dysentery.  Our farm land here in Troup County, Georgia was inhabited by both Cherokee and Creek Indians before 1838 when the government forced them to move West.  Oral histories describe ceremonies conducted here up until the 1960’s.  During a trip to Tahlequah, Oklahoma specifically to meet descendants of the Cherokee tribe, Doug gifted them with wild blackberry seeds harvested from our land.  They were genuinely grateful to have these seeds, and entrusted them to one of their best farmers there in Tahlequah.  Although great tasting, the wild varieties have lots of thorns and are difficult to pick.  On our farm, we cultivate thornless varieties that were developed at the University of Arkansas. They are Navaho, Ouachita, and Natchez. These plants are trellised and planted on flat terraces, which make them very easy to pick.

Blackberry blossoms are really beautiful.  Have you ever looked at one up close?  They start out as a pink bud and then slowly open up to reveal pink and white petals, then the petals turn completely white.  Honey bees love to visit these fragrant flowers which, of course, is beneficial to both the plant and the honeybee. The blossom gets pollinated, and the bee collects nectar and pollen for food.  Once the flower is pollinated, it slowly withers and the petals fall off.  You can see in the first photo, lower left, where a few of the earlier blossoms are already loosing their petals. The actual blackberry grows from the base of where the blossom was.  If you look in the second photo at the berries, you can see the filaments that were also part of the blossom.

Currently, here in Georgia, we’ve passed the blossoming stage and are well on our way to picking and enjoying the fruit.  The berries are green right now as they continue to grow and be filled with nutrients.  They will slowly turn red and then ripen into the large, juicy, black berries you are familiar with around June.

What about listening to Blackberries?  This fruit is so great that numerous songs have been written about Blackberries, Blackberry Blossoms, Blackberry Wine, you name it!  A local Georgia Southern rock band called Blackberry Smoke is making the charts right now.  A classic old time Bluegrass song is called Blackberry Blossom.  Here is a particularly good rendition by Norman Blake and Tony Rice.  (You can buy their album on iTunes.)
Listen to “Blackberry Blossom” on Guitar below!