Wild Blackberry

Rubus ursinus

Wild blackberry is common throughout North America and grows easily in forest edges, meadows, and open, disturbed soil. It is a thorny, sprawling, arching bramble that roots at the point where the long cane touches the ground. The leaves are toothed, three- or five-leaflet compounds, depending on the species and age of the plant.

In the West, Rubus ursinus is the only native species and has only three leaflets. It is a low trailing plant with three leaved canes (three or five leaflets) and forms a low trailing blackberry. The introduced Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), is also common and grows five leaflets per stem and is an extremely invasive plant forming thickets many feet tall and wide. The same dark, sweet, and highly flavored berries ripen red to deep purple-black on both species in summer [1][2].

Wild blackberries have been used as food and medicine for centuries. The berries were harvested fresh and dried for winter storage, and sometimes mashed into fruit cakes. Leaves and roots made a tea to treat diarrhea, sore throats, and inflammation using the plant’s natural tannins and astringent qualities [3][4].

Wild blackberries are a culinary staple in the summer, and many still enjoy eating them fresh, baking them into pies, or preserving them as jams or jellies. Be sure to forage for wild blackberries only from places that you know are not sprayed. Many roadside thickets have been treated for invasive species.

Ecologically, blackberry thickets provide food and shelter for birds and small mammals. They also stabilize the soil and support pollinators during bloom. Native or not, wild blackberries are one of the most prolific and generous plants in the summer landscape.

[1] McClung Museum. “# PlantOfTheMonth: Blackberry, udatanvhi (Rubus spp.).” June 28, 2023. https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/2023/06/28/plantofthemonth-blackberry/

[2] Herb Society of America. “Rubus spp. — Herb of the Year 2020.” https://www.herbsocietypotomac.org/past-herbs-of-the-year/rubus

[3] Tryon Life Community Farm. “Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) – Native & Non-Native.” https://tryonfarm.org/share/node/308

[4] Natural Medicinal Herbs. “Pacific Dewberry – Rubus ursinus.” https://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/r/rubus-ursinus%3Dpacific-dewberry.php​