Native Plant Spotlight - Trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus)

What is Trailing Blackberry?

Trailing blackberry or Rubus ursinus is a vining shrub native to the Western North America. This plant has three leaflets attached to thing round stems. These stems are covered in prickles. The flowers are small and white and only appear on the plant starting in its second year of growth. The plant will produce a delicious purple fruit. The berry is edible to humans and animals.

Trailing Blackberry as a Wildlife Plant

Trailing blackberry is a great option for planting in a landscape that has been highly disturbed and has limited foot traffic. The flowers provide pollination opportunities for a variety of bees and butterflies. They are also host plants for several butterflies. These fruits develop and provide summer food source for passing mammals and birds. They are particularly favored bears and deer.

Plant Growth Habits

The mature plant can reach 0.5- 2 m in height and more than 2 m width. The plant can be planted in full shade to full sun. The plant has a vining growth pattern with prickly stems that results in eventual spread. This can be undesirable to areas with high traffic as it can make navigating through difficult.  In general, trailing blackberry is a relatively low maintenance shrub. Pruning may be necessary to reduce sprawl. The plant prefers moist soil. It is beneficial to water newly planted blackberry for the first two years while the plant is establishing roots.