Uncultivated benevolence
My eyes wanted more varied color than the late July trailside was offering, so I climbed the short embankment up to the parallel horseback riding trail for thicker vegetation, and hopefully a new palette.
And sure enough tucked into the underbrush and greenery, I found it. Two cone shaped clusters of purply-red fruit standing out against the greenscape. Wild red raspberries!
"Imagine a world in which Your entire possession is one raspberry, And you give it to your friend.”
Gerda Weissemann Klein
Native rubus idaeus is abundant in the wild and a valuable resource for people and wildlife alike.
Not just a fruity ingredient for jam and muffins, the leaves and roots of the raspberry plant have been used for tonics, gargles, poultices - even a remedy for heart disease. Wild raspberries are an important source of pollen and nectar for a wide range of bees and butterflies and the sweet-tarty fruit is enjoyed by birds and small creatures, many of whom also nest in their dense thickets.
The red raspberry is a wildly generous plant, so go out and collect some, eat a few, and give the rest away.
*Thbbft: Bill the Cat
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