Blackberry( bramble)

[Sappy]

Been playing about with brambles for the past few weeks and in my opinion this must be one of the most useful plants.

The young shoots are edible
Edible berries
Thorns can be used for making various types of fishhook
The outer fibre makes a moderately good cord
It can be split in the same manner as roots for a very good binding on skeps( better than using cord as its quicker to process and tightened more)
Can be used in its entirety for rough bindings( ridgepoles, tripods, bipods etc)
Can be used for hanging the cook pot of a tripod( cut a slit in the thick end and push the thin end through to for a loop that your pots handle goes, then use the end to attach to tripod.
In place of willow for basketry

Is there anything else it can be used for?

 

[Silverhill]

The leaves can be dried and used as tea leaves.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

They are also a very important food source for wildlife. And when planted along a garden boundary hedgerow, they make a good reppellent against two legged rats.

 

[British Red]

A first year primary makes a brilliant tool for getting rabbits out of warrens (allegedly)

 

[fishfish]

sorry but couldnt read this thread without mentioning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI

 

[Silverhill]

.... they make a good reppellent against two legged rats.

Very good point. Rattus rattus (pikei maximus)

 

[Joel_m]

I seem to recall doesn't bramble burn really well even when relatively fresh?

 

[boatman]

I am experimenting with bramble withies to sew together the planks of a boat similar to a Chilean Dalca in order to get something like a possible Bronze Age boat. Have had a trial section made up for a few weeks and it seems .

Use bramble bits for dyeing as well.

 

[fishfish]

made this eel/crayfish trap a while ago from bramble: