Blackberry (Rubus villosus)

When the great American poet Walt Whitman wrote that the blackberry "would adorn the parlors of heaven", he had no idea that modern pharmaceutical researchers would add to his admiration. Recently, nutritionists and the medical community have examined the blackberry as a possible nutraceutical - a food that provides medical or health benefits beyond basic nutrition, including prevention and treatment of disease. Whether they are used for jellies and jams, ice cream, pies, juices, wine, or eaten raw, blackberries are the most widely used member of the caneberries.