Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus)

Gallery:

Fruiting blackberry

Unripe Blackberry fruits

Blackberry bramble

Himalayan Blackberry

White Blackberry flower

Himalayan Blackberry

blackberry leaves

Blackberry thorns on underside of leaf

Recursive Blackberry thorns

Common names:

Himalayan Blackberry, Armenian Blackberry

Scientific Name:

Rubus armeniacus (syns. Rubus bifrons, Rubus discolor, Rubus procerus)

Description:

Himalayan Blackberry is a tall semi-woody shrub, characterized by thorny stems and edible fruits. It grows upright on open ground and will climb over and trail over other vegetation. Mature plants can reach 15 feet in height. The canes of Himalayan blackberry can reach lengths of 40 feet and are typically green to deep red in color. Himalayan blackberry forms dense, nearly impenetrable thickets. In some instance, canes can reach densities of more than 500 canes per square yard. The canes of Himalayan blackberry typically last only three years before dying off, so dense thickets are often dominated by old canes.

Life cycle:

Perennial

Height of mature plants

Up to 15 feet

Flower color:

White, Pink

Bloom time:

April to August.

Look-a-likes:

Cutleaf blackberry (Rubus lacinatus) is similar but has more deeply divided leaves.

Habitat:

The areas most infested by Himalayan blackberry are disturbed sites and along stream corridors. Blackberry flourishes on open ground, and on unmanaged sites. Plants grown in wet soils tend to be dense and more robust. Due to the movement by birds, Himalayan blackberry also is commonly found under perching sites, such as along fence rows and under power lines.

Impacts:

Himalayan blackberry is a highly invasive plant that replaces native vegetation. The canes of blackberry can build up substantial litter layer which may serve as fuels for wildfire. The thorns of the blackberry plants can limit the access of a site by both animals and people. While dense thickets can be useful to some wildlife species, the diversity of habitats is greatly diminished, thereby diminishing the usability of a site to only a few species.