Blackberries

Blackberries are sweet and dark berries that grow on bushes. When they are ripe, they turn a deep purple-black color. Each berry is made of many small round parts joined together. Blackberries taste sweet and a little bit tart.

Blackberry Bushes

Blackberries grow on thorny plants called brambles. The canes can grow very long and spread out in big tangles. The sharp thorns help protect the plant from animals. Blackberries first appear green, then turn red, and finally become black when they are ripe. Picking them can be tricky because of the thorns.

Eating Blackberries

Blackberries are a tasty summer treat. You can eat them fresh or put them in fruit salads. They are also baked into pies, cobblers, and muffins. Some people make blackberry jam to spread on toast. Blackberries have lots of vitamin C and antioxidants that help keep you healthy.

Fun Facts

• Blackberries are related to roses and raspberries.
• A blackberry is not really a berry to scientists, but is called an aggregate fruit.
• Wild blackberries have grown in America for thousands of years.

Did You Know?

Blackberry juice was once used to dye cloth and even color the stripes of American flags during colonial times.