Blackberry

Rosaceae

LIFE FORM: Shrub

NATIVITY: Eastern North America

VEGETATIVE CHARACTERISTICS:

Erect canes 4 to 8 feet tall with stout, sharp spines; palmately compound leaves with five leaflets.

FLOWERS:

White flowers terminate two-year-old canes.

FRUIT/DISPERSAL AGENTS:

Sweet, black berries produced in July; relished by humans and birds; spreads readily from underground stems.

ECOLOGICAL PREFERENCE:

Minimally maintained public parks and open space; vacant lots and waste dumps; woodlands that develop on abandoned open space; railroad tracks with ballast substrate.

ENVIRONMENTAL FUNCTION:

Drought tolerance on compacted soils; food and/or habitat for wildlife; erosion control on slopes.

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:

The fruit is great for making pies.