Facts about Wineberry ~ Rubus phoenicolasius

Rubus phoenicolasius popularly known as Japanese Wineberry or wineberry is an Asian species of raspberry in the rose family Rosaceae. It is in the genus Rubus, which also consists of blackberry and raspberry. The name Rubus phoenicolasius is translated as blackberry with purple hairs. The plant is native to eastern Asia including China, Japan, and Korea and has been introduced into parts of North America and Europe. The species was introduced to Europe and North America as an ornamental plant and for its potential in breeding hybrid raspberries. It has subsequently escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in parts of Europe and North America. Japanese Wineberry, Hairy bramble, Purple-leaf blackberry, Wine raspberry, Wineberry and purple-hair bramble are few of the popular common names of the plant.

Wineberry Facts

Plant Description

Wineberry is a perennial, deciduous, thicket-forming shrub that normally grows about 9 feet tall and 3 feet 3 inches wide at a medium rate. The plant is found growing in waste places, clearings in lowland, mountains, roadsides, montane valleys, forest, fields, stream banks, wetland edges, open woods, wood, riparian areas, savannas, prairies and fields, early- to mid-successional forest, floodplain forest, herbaceous and shrub wetland, wet meadows, riparian corridors, open disturbed areas, burned areas, trail sides, ditches and vacant lots. It grows well in sandy, loamy, and clay soils and prefers moist, well-drained soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. In the first year, the stem grows from 1-3 meters, unbranched, with large leaves with 3-5 leaflets, and rarely ever a flower. In the second year, the plant doesn’t grow any taller, but produces several side shoots. The mature plant has long stems (canes) that are upright and arching. Canes can grow 1.6 to 4.9 feet (0.5-1.5 m) in length and may reach 9 feet (2.7 m) tall. Canes are bristly and thorny and covered with distinctive glandular red hairs that are 0.1 to 0.2 inch (3-5 mm) long. The hairs give the canes a reddish color when seen from a distance.

Leaves

Wineberry leaves are alternate, compound and consist of 3 serrated, blunt-tipped leaflets with purple veins that are densely white-tomentose underneath. Petioles are densely hairy. Terminal leaflet is much larger than the other two. The terminal leaflet is 1.6 to 3.9 inches (4-10 cm) long and about as wide. Lateral leaflets are 1.0 to 3.1 inches (2.5-8.0 cm) long. Leaflets are egg-shaped with long, pointed ends. Edges of the leaflets are toothed. The undersides of the leaves are covered with fine white hairs, making them conspicuously white.

Flower

Flowers are small, 6-10 mm in diameter, five purplish-red to pink petals and bloom in late spring. The leafy structure below the flower petals (calyx) closes after flowering is complete and covers the developing fruit until it is almost ripe. The sepals are hairy and longer than the petals, giving the flowers an unopened look. Flowering normally takes place in between June to July.

Fruit

Fertile flowers are followed by juicy and bright clusters of drupelets about 1 cm diameter. They are initially green turning to orange or red as they mature. The fruit is edible, and produced in summer or autumn. In botanical terminology, it is not a berry at all, but an aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets around a central core. Ripening occurs from early summer. The berries have thorns that look like hair. Each fruit contains numerous seeds that are 0.1 to 0.2 inch (2-4 mm) long. They ripen in June to July.

Health Wonders of Wineberry Wine

Listed below are some of the health benefits of using Wineberry

1. Weight Loss

Wineberry wine is identified to accelerate the fat burning process and similarly help in reducing weight to surprising extent. The main reason behind weight loss triggering process is the presence of ketone compounds exclusively in Wineberry. Wineberry ketone as it is scientifically called, disrupts the normal process of fat deposition and encourages the metabolism of fat in fatty tissues. It also results in natural release of adinopectin compound that counteracts the effects of leptin molecule present in our tissues. Leptin molecules are fundamentally responsible for obesity and increase in cholesterol level. Adinopectin, which is a hormone negates the effects of leptin and therefore acts as a stimulant for weight loss. Due to this unique characteristic of Wineberry wine, it has been suggested for corpulent people who are facing the highest threshold of life threatening diseases.

2. Tonic of Life

Wineberry wine has unique antioxidants that protects against cell damage and perform tissue repairmen in better way. It is said that Wineberry wine in minute dose is sufficient to prevent any internal tissue damage and also speeds up the recovery of tissues. This elixir of life as it is rightly said is one of the good reasons behind longevity. People who drink Wineberry wine frequently are known to live longer and healthier, Japanese and Korean people provide this proof. With high level of antioxidant rich nutrition, it prevents the occurrence of cancer and especially skin and breast cancer. Antioxidants in Wineberry wine remove the toxic wastes that are result of metabolism. They are protective to both heart and liver.

3. Anti-inflammatory Agent

The wine carries the excellent property of anti-inflammation. It has Vitamin C, Vitamin E and certain immune boosting enzymes that eventually help in reducing the inflammatory process and gives a performance boost to immune system. To mention specifically, there is release of cytokines (special signaling molecules that are directly involved in killing pathogens that invade immune system) by triggering action of Wineberry compounds. You are more resistant towards any sort of common bacteria or virus attacking your system.

4. Maintain Skin health

Berries also work to maintain a healthy skin. It can avoid the possibility of skin inflammation such as acne and eczema. It also works to produce a silky smooth skin that moisturized and soft. Thus, it can maintain a younger look of the skin.

5. Avoid Cancer

Consume the berries believed can help to treat the cancer diseases. Some research shows a significant result that this fruit will help to cut off the supplied nutrient to the cancer cells. Furthermore, it works to stimulate the regenerate of a new cell to replace the bad cancer cell. Therefore, it is one of the herbal alternatives for avoid the possibility of breast cancer or skin cancer. This is the same benefits of soursop for cancer that works to avoid the cancer cell growth too.

6. Optimum Metabolism

By consume the berries; it can work to optimize the body metabolism. It can increase the hormone production to optimize the change of food into energy. Therefore, it will help to supply enough energy for daily activities. It can optimize the oxygen burning level and increase the body metabolic rate that benefits to maintain the digestive health condition.

Traditional uses and benefits of Wineberry

• Wine made from wine berry is well-known to accelerate the fat burning process and similarly it helps in reducing weight.
• They also act as a protective agent to both heart and liver.
• Consuming wine berries boosts immunity in general and is effective against all types of bacteria and viruses.
• Berries are a counter for fevers, coughs and common cold.

Different methods to Control Wineberry

Wineberry control is more straightforward than control of many other invasive plants in New York. While any root fragments may start a new plant, Wineberry does not have a vigorous underground storage structure; this makes it easier to control than, for instance, Japanese knotweed or lesser celandine. It is also susceptible to common pesticides.

For any invasive species control project, it is essential to have a plan for the location before control begins.  Disturbance without replanting often results in the return of either the same invasive species or other invasive to the site; have a restoration plan in place before starting invasive species removal.

Mechanical control

Hand pulling of wineberry or digging with a spading fork can be a successful strategy in small patches or where repeat visits are not costly, mostly if native species are planted where the ground has been disturbed. Return visits for a few years will be necessary to remove new plants that sprout from root fragments. As wineberry is armed with thorns and hairs, minimizing exposed skin during mechanical control is advisable.

Chemical control

Wineberry can be controlled using systemic herbicides such as glyphosate or triclopyr. When using pesticides, be aware that many pesticides are prohibited within 100’ of water, as they are toxic to aquatic life and/or fail to break down in water. Some formulations of glyphosate-based herbicides are permitted for use near water, but the most common formulation (Roundup) is not permitted for use near water due to an adjuvant that is toxic in aquatic habitats. Triclopyr also has both aquatic-permitted and prohibited formulations; choose carefully based on the characteristics of your treatment area. Always follow instructions on the label of any pesticide, and remember that New York has its own regulations for pesticides, both for the entire state and for specific regions like Long Island that have special environmental considerations.

Precautions

• Stop consume the fruit when experience any allergically symptoms such as redness, itchiness, swollen parts of the body or even asthma and nausea.
• Pregnant woman shall be careful before consuming the fruits. It is suggested not to eat this fruit during pregnancy since it possibly can cause miscarriage.

References:

https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=25017#null

https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=32416

https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Rubus+phoenicolasius

https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=RUPH

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus_phoenicolasius

https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/rubpho/all.html

http://tn-grin.nat.tn/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=32416

https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/354717

http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/rjp-756

https://www.invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=3072

https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/RUBPH

https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/77420/#b

https://extension.umass.edu/landscape/weeds/rubus-phoenicolasius

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