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Rubus fruticosus

blackberry

Rosaceae Europe

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 5–9

Overview

Rubus fruticosus is a deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub in the rose family, forming a thicket of arching, prickly canes 3-10 feet (0.9-3 m) long. The name covers an aggregate of many closely related microspecies. First-year canes grow without flowering and are ridged, green to reddish, and armed with curved prickles; second-year canes flower and fruit, then die. Leaves are palmately compound with three to five toothed leaflets 1.5-3.5 inches (4-9 cm) long, green above and paler beneath. Clusters of white to pale pink five-petalled flowers about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across open from late spring into summer, followed by aggregate fruits that ripen from green through red to black, 0.5-1 inch (1.3-2.5 cm) long, from midsummer into autumn. Canes root where their tips touch the ground, and the plant spreads by these tips and by suckers to form dense thickets. It is classed as a noxious weed in parts of the western United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Prickles on the canes and leaf undersides catch on skin and clothing.

Native Range

Native to Europe and widely naturalized across temperate regions worldwide. Grows in hedgerows, woodland margins, scrub, wasteland, and disturbed ground in a wide range of soils. Naturalized and invasive in the Pacific Northwest, Australia, and New Zealand.

Suggested Uses

Grown for fruit in kitchen gardens and on trellises or wires at 4-8 foot (1.2-2.4 m) spacing. Used in wildlife hedging and informal boundaries where the thicket habit and thorns form a barrier. Spreading, rooting canes make it difficult to contain in small or formal gardens.

How to Identify

Identified by arching, ridged canes armed with curved prickles, palmately compound leaves of three to five toothed leaflets, and aggregate black fruit 0.5-1 inch (1.3-2.5 cm) long. Flowers are white to pale pink, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across, in branched clusters. Separated from Rubus idaeus by fruit that keeps its central core when picked rather than pulling free as a hollow cap.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 10'

Width/Spread6' - 15'

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowers from late May through July in most temperate regions, with bloom spread over 4-6 weeks as successive clusters open. Flowering is followed by fruit ripening from July into October. Cool, wet weather during bloom reduces fruit set.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

White to pale pink

Foliage Description

Green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-8 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand

Drainageaverage

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade in most soils with adequate moisture; fruiting is heavier in full sun. Tolerates poor and disturbed ground and establishes quickly from cane tips and suckers. Water during establishment and during fruit development in dry spells for larger berries. Canes spread widely and root at the tips, forming thickets that crowd out other plants. Cane borers and fungal cane blight occur where old canes are left standing. Self-sown seedlings and rooting tips appear well beyond the original planting.

Pruning

Cut second-year canes to the ground after they finish fruiting, since they die back on their own. Thin and tie in first-year canes during the growing season to manage the thicket. Remove rooted cane tips and suckers in spring to limit spread.

Pruning Schedule

summerfallearly spring