Rubus flagellaris
common dewberry
Overview
Rubus flagellaris is a low, trailing bramble with woody stems, or canes, that creep along the ground to 3-6 feet (90-180 cm) long while rising only 0.5-2 feet (15-60 cm) high. The slender canes are armed with scattered curved prickles and root where their tips touch soil, forming spreading patches. Leaves are divided into three to five toothed leaflets, dark green in summer and often turning red to bronze in fall, with some foliage persisting in mild winters. White, five-petaled flowers about 0.75-1.25 inches (2-3 cm) across open in spring, followed in early summer by black, blackberry-like aggregate fruits that are edible and sweet when ripe. It is native to fields, roadsides, clearings, and open woods across eastern and central North America, where it grows on dry to medium soils. The canes are biennial, growing one year and fruiting the next before dying back. It spreads readily by rooting tips and seed and can form prickly, tangled mats, which limits its use near paths or in tidy beds. It tolerates poor soils and sun but fruits less in shade.
Native Range
Native to eastern and central North America, from southern Canada south to the Gulf states. It grows in fields, clearings, roadsides, open woods, and disturbed ground.Suggested Uses
Used as a groundcover on banks and dry slopes, in wildlife and edible plantings, and for erosion control on open ground. The fruit draws birds and mammals and can be picked for eating. The prickly, spreading habit suits naturalized areas rather than formal gardens or path edges.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 2'
Width/Spread3' - 6'
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Blooms in spring, generally April to June, with white flowers borne singly or in small clusters on short upright shoots. Bloom lasts a few weeks. Black aggregate fruits ripen from late spring into summer and are eaten by birds, mammals, and people.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
dark green, turning red to bronze in fallGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight