Quick Facts: Blackberries

• The blackberry can be traced back 2,500 years.²

   

• The blackberry’s name is derived from the word brambel, meaning “prickly.”⁴

   

• The ancient Greeks considered blackberries a remedy for gout.⁴

   

• Blackberry leaves may still be used in England as a burn remedy in a method that once was accompanied by a spoken charm.⁴

   

• In olden days, blackberries were supposed to give protection against all evil runes, as long as the berries were gathered during the right phase of the moon.⁴

   

• Hair dye can be made by boiling blackberry leaves in strong lye. This dye can give hair a soft black color.⁴