Blackberry leaves can be used to treat mild to moderate menstrual pains and heavy menstruation. They work via a combined action of their antispasmodic actions whilst also acting as an astringent uterine relaxant. 

Their astringent qualities have been applied for the treatment of inflammatory conditions in the digestive system. A strong infusion of blackberry leaf tea is used to treat inflammations and abbesses in the mouth. Further down the digestive system, they are also used for the symptomatic treatment of diarrhoea or dysentery. It is important however that if any of the above symptoms persist for longer than three days to seek medical advice (1,2).

Blackberry leaves help to restore the health of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract whilst also bringing down inflammation after a bout of gastric illness.

Blackberry leaf is also an excellent agent used to restore tone in the digestive system and can be used in the treatment of haemorrhoids. This can be applied both using an infusion of blackberry leaf tea and with a lotion, cream or ointment applied topically on the affected area up to three times a day (2,3).

Chewing the leaves of blackberry or using an infusion as a mouthwash helps to maintain gum health. A mild infusion filtered well (using a coffee filter) may also be useful for the treatment of conjunctivitis and eye inflammations (3).

Blackberry leaves are powerfully astringent, cooling and toning. Their qualities lend well for inflamed tissue states especially in the digestive tract where chronic inflammation has led to hyperpermeability in the gut. The use of blackberry leaves for this purpose is likely best employed as a short-term approach to help restore tone in the mucous membranes of the gut (5). 

This same toning action applies to its use on tissues for the female reproductive system, as well as in the urinary system, perhaps where infection may have led to inflammation in the mucous membranes (3). 

The best use of astringent herbs like blackberry leaf are for restoring tone in hot and flaccid mucous membranes. There will likely be fluid retention, puffy eyes, a lack of digestive efficacy among other symptoms that a herbalist would usually observe. The high tannin content of blackberry leaves is responsible for these actions. Their astringency will also help in phlegmatic states to help reduce excess secretions. 

Blackberry is a member of the rose family, and like its other members it has a highly valuable application for this strengthening effect on the mucous membranes. They have the ability to tone and moderate tension.. These actions made blackberry leaf excellent for phlegmy coughs, oedema or other fluid retention throughout the body (1).

This herb is also impressively anti–oxidant rich, high in vitamin C and flavonoids making it an excellent herb for cellular and cardiovascular health (2).

Blackberry leaves have been used for centuries in Western Europe and Native American traditional medicine. It has a long history of use for healing female disorders such as heavy menstruation and menstrual pain (6).

Romans treated various diseases with the use of blackberry leaf infusion. It is also evidenced that blackberry was used as food around 8,000 years ago and as a medicinal plant soon after the ice age. Hippocrates recommended blackberry stems and leaves soaked in white wine to relieve difficulties in childbirth and as an astringent poultice on wounds.

Their astringent properties have been long understood as a medicine to tone and restore the tissues and have been referenced throughout history for diarrhoea and in wound healing as a poultice or wash. The leaves were often used to wash wounds and help stop them from excessive bleeding. They have also been long believed to possess diuretic, carminative and antidiabetic properties and used to cure diarrhoea, cough, fever, haemorrhoids and cystitis (5,6).

Digestive system

Blackberry leaves have been found to help prevent stomach ulcers and can be used as an effective antibiotic to combat Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which is often responsible for causing such ulcers. Blackberry leaf is also effective against a number of other bacteria including; E. coli, B. subtilis, S. aureus and P. mirabilis (7).

Cardiovascular system

Blackberry has a number of active compounds which are shown to be highly antioxidant and regenerative to the cardiovascular system. The leaves of blackberry are also used specifically for its angiogenic (regenerate or form new capillaries) properties . The antioxidant flavonoids and phenolic compounds found abundantly in blackberry leaf are likely to be responsible for some of its cardiovascular tonic effects (1,7).

Metabolic

Blackberry leaf is sometimes used by herbalists to manage diabetes mellitus and for its hypoglycemic actions to reduce blood sugar levels. The mechanism of these effects is not yet fully understood, however, there have been some promising studies that demonstrate these effects. Trace minerals chromium and zinc which are both present in blackberry leaf may play a part in these hypoglycaemic effects (8).

Blackberry leaf has an excellent oxygen radical absorbance capacity making it also an excellent plant for general cellular health. They are used to support healthy immune function (2,6).

Reproductive system

In addition to the above-mentioned effects of blackberry leaf on menstrual pain, it is also sometimes recommended by herbalists to use in place of raspberry leaf for support during the final trimester of pregnancy as a uterine tonic to stimulate and facilitate labour and to shorten the duration of labour (2,3).

Antibacterial effects

An in vitro study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of methanolic extracts of blackberry leaves, roots and stems respectively. The study focused on the antimicrobial and antifungal activity of each extract. The extract of R. fruticosus leaves showed bacterial inhibition at minimum dose level especially against E. coli, B. subtilis, S. aureus and P. mirabilis (7).

Diabetes and hyperglycemia

In a systematic review, a number of studies were evaluated to explore blackberry’s therapeutic applications and actions. In vitro and vivo studies confirm antidiabetic and antihyperglycemic effects of blackberry leaf and its constituents (8).

Systematic review

Another systematic review explored the antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of blackberry leaves. Many studies including in vitro and in vivo were assessed and the review concludes that the free radical scavenging, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects are well demonstrated (6).

The blackberry is native to the whole of Europe and the high mountains of South America. They can thrive well in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, hedgerows, gardens, scrubland, cliffs, roadside verges and waste ground (11,12).

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species states that blackberry is classified as Least Concern as it has widespread distribution across central and northern Europe, it has a high colonisation ability and can occupy a range of habitat types, its population is stable, and there are no major threats recorded (13).

Habitat loss and over-harvesting from the wild are two of the biggest threats faced by medicinal plant species. There are an increasing number of well-known herbal medicines at risk of extinction. We must, therefore, ensure that we source our medicines with sustainability in mind.

The herb supplement industry is growing at a rapid rate and until recent years a vast majority of medicinal plant produce in global trade was of unknown origin. There are some very real and urgent issues surrounding sustainability in the herb industry. These include environmental factors that affect the medicinal viability of herbs, the safety of the habitats that they are taken from, as well as the welfare of workers in the trade.

The botanical supply chain efforts for improved visibility (transparency and traceability) into verifiably sustainable production sites around the world is now certificated through the emergence of credible international voluntary sustainability standards (VSS). 

Read our article on Herbal quality and safety: What to know before you buy and Sustainable sourcing of herbs to learn more about what to look for and questions to ask suppliers about sustainability.

Herbal medicines are often very safe to take; however, their safety and efficacy can be jeopardised by quality issues. So, it is important to buy herbal medicines from a reputable supplier, from sources known to test their herbs to ensure there is no contamination, adulteration or substitution with incorrect plant matter, as well as ensuring that recognised marker compounds are at appropriate levels in the herbs.

Some important quality assurances to look for are certified organic labelling, the correct scientific/botanical name, and the availability of information from the supplier about ingredient origins. A supplier should be able to tell you where the herbs have come from, what contaminants are not in the herb, and what the primary compounds are.

Blackberries are easy to grow. They can however easily reproduce via suckers and become invasive quickly. Buy bare-root plants in winter and soak before planting. Bury each bare rooted plant up to the old soil mark and firm in and water well. Spacing is usually 1.5 m between each plant.

For large juicy fruits, blackberries prefer partial to full sun. They require moderate watering during hot and dry spells. In the first spring, new canes will emerge from the base of the plant. It is best to cut back any old wood to soil level and tie in the new canes as they grow.

After fruiting, cut two-year-old canes down to soil level (these canes will have fruited). Cover the cut ends with compost so they rot down quickly. Tie in the next lot of canes when they appear in spring.

Every few years in late winter apply a good layer of well-rotted garden compost or organic farmyard manure over the root area. If you notice a decline in the vigour of the canes, feed with pelleted chicken manure. These plants require little care or maintenance other than to keep any new suckers under control (14).

1. Iulia Varzaru, Alexandra Gabriela Oancea, Petru Alexandru Vlaicu, Mihaela Saracila, Arabela Elena Untea. Exploring the Antioxidant Potential of Blackberry and Raspberry Leaves: Phytochemical Analysis, Scavenging Activity, and In Vitro Polyphenol Bioaccessibility. Antioxidants. 2023;12(12):2125-2125. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12122125
2. Verma R, Gangrade T, Ghulaxe C, Punasiya R. Rubus fruticosus (blackberry) use as an herbal medicine. Pharmacognosy Reviews. 2014;8(16):101. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.134239
3. Ferlemi AV, Lamari F. Berry Leaves: An Alternative Source of Bioactive Natural Products of Nutritional and Medicinal Value. Antioxidants. 2016;5(2):17. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox5020017
4. Hoffmann D. Medical Herbalism : The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Healing Arts Press; 2003.
5. Grieve M. A Modern Herbal.; 1970.
6. Paczkowska-Walendowska M, Gościniak A, Szymanowska D, et al. Blackberry Leaves as New Functional Food? Screening Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Microbiological Activities in Correlation with Phytochemical Analysis. Antioxidants. 2021;10(12):1945. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10121945
7. Riaz M, Ahmad M, Rahman N. Antimicrobial screening of fruit, leaves, root and stem of Rubus fruticosus. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research. 2011;5(24):5920-5924. doi:https://doi.org/10.5897/jmpr.9000181
8. Zia-Ul-Haq M, Riaz M, De Feo V, Jaafar H, Moga M. Rubus Fruticosus L.: Constituents, Biological Activities and Health Related Uses. Molecules. 2014;19(8):10998-11029. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules190810998
9. Chevallier A. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. Penguin; 2016.
10. Natural Medicines. Blackberry. naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com. Published 2024. https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food
11. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Rubus fruticosus L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science. Plants of the World Online. Published 2024. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:736933-1
12. Woodland Trust. Bramble (Rubus fruticosus) – British Plants. Woodland Trust. Published 2019. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/bramble/
13. Khela S. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Rubus fruticosus. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Published July 4, 2013. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/203455/2765761
14. RHS. Blackberries and hybrid berries. www.rhs.org.uk. Published 2024. https://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/blackberries-and-hybrid-berries/grow-your-own