Loganberry

Rubus × loganobaccus

Herbs gallery - Loganberry

Common names

  • Loganberry

The loganberry is a crossbreed of raspberry and blackberry. However, this plant bear close resemblance to blackberry rather than the raspberry. On the other hand, the fruits are deep red instead of black like those of blackberries. These berries are cultivated by many gardeners as well as commercially.

The loganberry plant is actually a rough, jumbled, prickly shrub, belonging to the genus Rubus. This fruit has derived its name from its creator, a California judge named James Harvey Logan. It is believed that loganberries were first produced in Oregon sometime in the 1800s by accident. Soon after, they spread quickly to South and even Mexico. Loganberries are widely accepted by people in the Pacific Northwest. These people usually like to cultivate this plant at their homes.

This plant is a climbing or spreading shrub that usually grows to a height of about 4.5 meters. Normally, loganberry plants are seen growing in moderately cold and tender locales and they thrive best in regions having warm summers and mild winters. These plants have a preference for humus-rich, loamy and well-drained soils. Ideally, the climbing plant should be trained on any wire trellis or any other construction. Loganberry plants have glabrous stems having soft prickles that are about 3 mm to 6 mm in length and have terete (cylindrical or slightly tapering without significant ridges). The leaves of this plant are impariminnately (pinnate with a solitary leaflet at the apex) compound having 3 or 5 leaflets. Sometimes, these leaflets are rare too. The leaflet at the apex in larger compared to the others. Underneath, the leaflets are sparsely pilose, generally ovate and their shape varies from acute to acuminate at the tip. The leaves have roughly serrated margins, round bases and appear on petioles that measure anything between 3 cm and 8.5 cm in length.

The inflorescence of loganberry plant is sub-corymbose having anything between 6 and 12 flowers. The sepals usually do not have prickles. Each petal is about 12 mm to 18 mm long and 7 mm to 9 mm in width. They are wide, egg-shaped and white hued. Normally the stamens are shorter compared to the styles. The average size of loganberries is quite large, comparable to the largest blackberries and their shapes are similar - varying from ovoid to oblong, having globules that are akin to the fruits. In the initial period, the berries are green and their color changes to dark red to deep maroon on ripening. Some even become purplish-black on ripening. The berries have a pleasant and mild flavour. They are vinous and enjoyable to the taste. Loganberries are generally used to make jam, syrup and juice. They also harmonize well with your salad menu.

Parts used

Fruit.

Uses

Loganberries offer numerous health benefits. For instance, consuming these berries is an ideal way of losing weight. If you are overweight and finding it difficult to shed that extra flab even after taking a healthy diet, look no further because loganberries possess all the attributes that help in losing weight. Loganberries are rich in dietary fiber content and, at the same time, contain less cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium. Manganese in loganberries makes you lose weight faster, while the dietary fiber helps to keep you full for a long period. A serving of just 150 grams of this fruit supplies our body with just 80 calories. As a result, though you will eat less, you will have a satiated feeling for a long period eating just once.

Beneficial for skin

As most of us are aware of the fact that our skin is the largest organ in our body, it is important to ensure that the skin remains healthy and youthful for as long as possible. Using loganberry in facial masks helps to reduce wrinkles. Loganberries also contain antioxidants and several alternative nutrients that help to combat the harms caused by daylight. At the same time, such facial masks also help to treat the skin better and keep skin disorders like eczema, pimples and other skin diseases away. Hence, it can be said that consuming as well as applying loganberry on the skin is healthy for our skin.

Boosts the immune system

Loganberries contain vitamin C, which is a potent antioxidant. Therefore, incorporating this fruit in your diet will help to strengthen the immune system, in addition to improving your overall health.

Good for the brain

If you wish to lead a healthy life, it is imperative to have a healthy body and healthy mind. Consuming loganberry helps the brain to remain healthy as well as robust. As this fruit also contains rich amounts of thiamine, loganberries are also beneficial for our nervous system. This fruit possesses the exceptional ability to refurbish damaged nerves. In addition, loganberries also work as a calming agent and facilitate the body to unwind. This fruit also contains reasonable amounts of manganese and folic acid, which are helpful in enhancing synthesis of DNA and improving the overall health of the neurological system. It is believed that incorporating this fruit in your diet is an ideal way to ensure that your body as well as the mind remain healthy.

Beneficial for heart's health

Loganberries are highly beneficial for the health of our heart. It helps the heart to function optimally. The presence of abundant manganese in loganberries serves as an antioxidant and they help to neutralize the detrimental free radicals. Consuming these fruits regularly will help to prevent various heart diseases. In fact, loganberries are specially recommended for people who are vulnerable to a heart attack.

Good for our eyes

Our eyes are a valuable organ that are said to be the widows of our soul. In fact, they are the doors to get access to the entire world. Therefore, it is important for us to keep them in the best of health and take the maximum possible care of our eyes. It is said that loganberries are excellent for our ocular health. They not only have the ability to combat macular degeneration - an age-related condition of the eyes that generally occur to people above the age of 50 years and often result in loss of vision, but also keep our eyes in the best of their health.

Healthy for gastrointestinal system

Regular consuming loganberry is among the best things you can do to keep your bowel movements normal and be able to enjoy your day. Almost 20 percent of the fruit's weight comprises dietary fiber. Aside from preventing constipation, loganberry also helps to eliminate unwanted and harmful substances from the body. At the same time, this fruit reduces the risks of developing gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes and problems related to excessive body weight.

Keeps blood pure

Consuming loganberries on a regular basis helps to supply us with our entire daily requirement of vitamin K, which helps the blood to clot. Bleeding problems may worsen in the absence of vitamin K. In addition to helping the blood to form clots, vitamin K also supports synthesis of proteins, which, in turn, results in healthy tissues and bones.

We are all aware that respiration is vital for our very existence because without oxygen our body is unable to undertake any of its normal functions. Consuming loganberry often is said to be helpful in curing respiratory problems. As this fruit contains vitamin C, it is also excellent for people suffering from asthma.

As mentioned earlier, loganberry also contains rich amounts of manganese - an essential mineral that helps the bones and tissues to develop properly. Manganese also helps the brain as well as the nervous system to function properly. In addition, an optimal dosage of manganese is vital for curing a variety of ailments, including premenstrual syndrome. This fruit contains enough of this mineral, so it is advisable to consume it regularly.

Loganberry also contains very high amount of dietary fiber. Therefore, consuming this fruit helps in dealing with health conditions caused by deficiency of dietary fiber in the body. Moreover, eating fruits and vegetables that are loaded with dietary fiber also helps to reduce the chances of developing gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even obesity.

Beneficial for women

Loganberry is especially beneficial for women as it helps to enhance their health. In fact, women face several health issues that do not occur to men. Hence, nature too demands that they take additional care of their overall health, especially pregnant women. Pregnant women are forced to produce plenty of DNA. Therefore, they need to intake sufficient amount of vitamin B, which is necessary for DNA production. When a pregnant lady suffers from deficiency of vitamin B, it is very likely that the stillborn child will have neural defects. Moreover, this fruit is excellent for the health of nursing women.

Loganberry also has a very high concentration of ellagic acid and gallic acid. Ellagic acid possesses anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Hence, it protects us from various ailments caused by bacteria and viruses. This acid also prevents the proliferation of carcinogenic cells in the body and serves as chemo preventative. Gallic acid also possesses antioxidant properties and, among other things, it serves as an astringent, an anti-neoplastic agent and a cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor.

Anti-carcinogenic properties

Findings of some studies show that loganberry also possesses properties that help to prevent cancer. In fact, the anti-carcinogenic property of loganberry is attributed to its antioxidant contents. Similarly, its ability to thwart cancerous growth in the body can also be attributed to the fruit's antimicrobial property also. Some studies have shown that loganberry is especially helpful in preventing lung cancer and prostate cancer. As loganberry contains high concentration of vitamin B, it is highly recommended that you add this fruit to your diet.

Culinary uses

Loganberry, a crossbreed between raspberry and blackberry, is a large, soft, deep red berry, which is bigger compared to raspberry and even the largest size blackberry. Compared to a raspberry, the flavour of loganberry is less subtle and it can also be somewhat tart. Hence, a lot of sugar is required when desserts are prepared by cooking loganberry. Loganberry can be used in the same way as you use any other summer berry - eat the ripened fresh berries raw or consume them with sugar or cream. Alternatively, loganberries can also be used to make juice, coulis, and jams and be added to various desserts. While cooking savoury dishes it can be used well with game dishes.

Habitat and cultivation

Compared to several other berry plants, loganberry plants are very brawny and are resistant to diseases as well as frost. Nevertheless, the commercial growers are not very interested in cultivating them owing to many problems that escalate expenses on labor. Moreover, the plants are quite thorny and its berries are concealed by the leaves. In addition, a single plant may be growing berries of different maturity, which makes it difficult for labourers to harvest the plants completely. As a result, loganberries are commonly grown by people in their gardens.

Usually, a loganberry bush produces about 10 vines (canes), which do not grow as upright as the vines of its parent raspberry. Instead, the vines of loganberry are similar to those of the blackberry plant. The growth of a loganberry plant may be undisciplined as its vines may grow up to five feet or even longer in just a year. Therefore, in order to control the growth of the plants, some gardeners train the vines or canes along a wire frame or a wall. The old canes usually die after their second year of growth and, hence, they need to be cut and discarded. If you don’t cut them away, these dead canes may be infected with diseases and even create obstructions during harvesting of the berries.

Loganberry plants bear fruits earlier compared to its blackberry parent. This plant bears fruits for only two months every year, usually during the period from mid-summer to mid-autumn. Some plants, however, produce fruits mid-season in different seasons - from blossoming to maturity. Generally, loganberries are harvested when they mature and their color changes from green to deep purple, instead of when their color is red. Annually, each loganberry bush produces anything between 7 kg and 8 kg of fruits. A plant continues to bear fruits for roughly 15 years. Loganberry plants have the ability to self-propagate.

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